Famous Scots from The Highlands

MacBeth 1005 - 1057
MacBeth was King of Scotland from 1040-1057, made famous by Shakespeare's play of the same name. The real story chronicled has portrayed him in a better light as a fair king in bloodthirsty times. He was the first Scottish king to make a pilgrimage to Rome in 1050.

Brahan Seer early 17th century
No one can be sure as to the exact birth date of Coinneach Odhar (Kenneth Mackenzie), the Brahan Seer, as recordsof him are a mystery. It is know that he was born in Uig on the Isle of Skye. He is known as Scotland's Nostradamus, due to his gift of sight into the future. He made prophecies including the Battle of Culloden, the Highland Clearances, the building of the Caledonian Canal and the coming of the railways which all came true. He used a round blue stone with a hole in the centre through which he would stare until the vision came to him.

Bonnie Prince Charlie 1720 - 1788
Born in Italy, he was the grandson of James VII of Scotland and II of England. He led the ill-fated Jacobite rebellion which, despite being a much smaller army than expected, managed to reach Derby. The rebellion was effectively crushed at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. He was a fugitive in the Highlands before his return to France. As he lay dying in Rome, a piper played "Lochaber no More" in the courtyard outside.

Sir William Alexander Smith 1854 - 1914
He was born in Pennyland House in Thurso in the far North of the Scottish mainland. He taught Sunday school at an early age and was an officer in an army unit. He noticed how the army recruits behaved much better when having some form of drill and wanted to apply this to his religious teachings of the Sunday school children. The idea was born for the Boy's Brigade, which soon caught on and companies were formed throughout Scotland, England and New Zealand.

Sorley MacLean 1911 - 1996
Sorley MacLean was born in the small village of Osgaig on the Isle of Raasay, near Skye. He was raised in the Gaelic language and began English at six when he started school in Portree on Skye. He studied English at University and there he began to write poetry. His first poems were written in English which he then translated into Gaelic but he decided they sounded better in Gaelic and subsequently destroyed all copies in English. He is today regarded as the father of the Gaelic Renaissance and his work, so full of imagery, still touches people.

Donnie Munro 1953 -
Donald Munro was born in Uig in the Noth of Skye. He was brought up in the bilingual culture of English and Gaelic until he left to study in Edinburgh as an art teacher. He joined the band that would eventually be Runrig in 1973. The band have had great recording success and Donnie Munro has become a household name. His reputation as an eloquent spokesperson for Scotland led him into politics which he still has a keen interest in. Today, he is involved with projects that are preserving the Gaelic language and is still performing his unique concerts.