Famous Scots from The Western Isles

Flora MacDonald 1722 - 1790
Born on South Uist, she was made famous for her part in sheltering Bonnie Prince Charlie on his escape through Scotland. She disguised him as her Irish maid Betty Burke, when he had a price on his head of £30,000. Later in life she emigrated to the United States but she returned to Scotland in 1778.

Alexander MacKenzie 1764 - 1820
Alexander MacKenzie was born in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. When he was a young he moved with his family to the "New World" to escape the poverty of the Highlands. They became caught up in the American Revolution but managed to escape to Montreal. The main industry was then the fur trade and MacKenzie saw this as an opportunity to travel and explore. While looking for the Pacific Ocean he discovered and charted the longest river in Canada - the MacKenzie River, named after him. His expeditions were legendary and when he wrote the book "Voyages" charting his epic journeys across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans there was such high demand publishers could not keep up.

Compton MacKenzie 1883 - 1972
Sir Edward Montague Compton MacKenzie spent a long period of his life in the small island of Barra in Western Isles. While living here he became committed to Scottish Nationalism. He wrote a series of finely observed Scottish comedies, the most successful of which was "Whisky Galore", a fictional account of a ship which sank carrying a full load of whisky off the isle of Eriskay. MacKenzie is buried on Barra.