Flora MacDonald's Way

THE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK TO THIS VIDEO WAS MARK KNOPFLER'S "SAILING TO PHILADELPHIA"; THE AUDIO TRACK WAS DELETED BY YOUTUBE AS A RESULT OF THE NEW COPYRIGHT LAWS THAT ARE MAKING HAVOC ON THE SITE... SO, I HAD TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL AUDIOTRACK WITH ONE OF THE RIDICULOUSLY FEW MUSIC PIECES AVAILABLE HERE - IF YOU CAN, PLEASE WATCH THIS WHILE PLAYING THE ORIGINAL TRACK!A biographer's trip through the isles of Benbecula and South Uist, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, to reach the landmark birthplace of legendary scottish heroine Flora MacDonald, preserver of Prince Charles Edward Stuart ("Bonnie Prince Charlie") in the days after the jacobite rebellion of 1745. Flora MacDonald was born in the now-abandoned village of Milton, South Uist, in 1722 and the ruins of her supposed childhood home are now a sort of sacred place for everyone interested in scottish history. After the rebellion, the village of Milton practically emptied out of its inhabitants, following the cruel repressive actions of british government on the higland people: all that is left of that ancient place you can see in the movie. When Dr.Johnson and his faithful biographer James Boswell met Flora MacDonald in the isle of Skye, some 28 years after her great deed — the salvation of Bonnie Prince Charlie from the redcoats that were hunting him throughout Scotland — the great writer said of her, "her name will be mentioned in history, and if courage and fidelity be virtues, mentioned with honour."
She indeed saved the Prince by her intelligence and virtous recklessnes, and the device of dressing him up as a spinning woman, thus disguising him as a simple maidservant in front of the british officers' very eyes and passing undisturbed from Uist to Portree, on the isle of Skye, has become the stuff of legend. The famous song "Over the Sea to Skye", in fact, tells the story of the Prince and Flora's crossing on a small boat from Uist to Skye, in the Inner Hebrides, where they parted with tenderness, never to meet again.
After having lived many other incredible adventures — including imprisonment due to her part in the Prince's escape, a migration to North Carolina and a close encounter with pirates on the way back to Scotland — Flora and her husband took up residence in Skye; Flora died at Kingsburgh on Skye in 1790, by her own will in the same bed in which Bonnie Prince Charlie (and Samuel Johnson) had slept.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Flora
• MacDonald
• Bonnie
• Prince
• Charlie
• Uist
• Hebrides

[FREDERICKARCHER]

This is the most dire of all your postings - the music you have chosen enhances the crap and inane effect of the video.Well done !

[benigerb]

Hmm, I see you still hate me because of my videos on Prince Charlie (about whom you don't know enough but you still want to put down in every possible way), and this is your little revenge... quite pathetic, I would say, but to each his own, right?

[benigerb]

Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it... that was a magical moment for me, being there and all, so I'm glad if anyone shares these sensations!

[sidlawman]

Must have been a really exciting trip for you. Hope i can make it one day myself, god willing.

[FREDERICKARCHER]

This is a joke or did you make it as part of a bet ?

[FREDERICKARCHER]

What is this shite ?

[glasgow1234]

Plus the music is very good.. Sounds kinda pink floydish. Do you know who it is?

[glasgow1234]

Brilliant Video benigerb!

Really enjoyed watching this..

Makes me want to go a drive away up into the Highlands & Islands..

The freedom!

[tttf66]

wonderful video.