Reverend Donald McCrae, Min. of Kintail

Biographical Summary

"Donald Macrae, born about 1656, fourth son of Alexander M. of Inverinate and Mary Mackenzie ; became schoolmaster of Fortrose ; adm. prior to 7th July 1681 ; still in the charge in 1716, though he refused to conform to Presbyterianism. An ardent Jacobite, he and his family took a prominent part in the Jacobite Rising of 1715, and also in the Attempt of 1719, which resulted in the defeat of the Jacobites under Seaforth at Glenshiel. His church was burned down by the crew of one of the ships of war which sailed into Loch Duich at that time. He died shortly afterwards. He marr. Catherine, daugh. of John Grant of Glenmoriston, and had issue — Alexander, lived at Ruroch in Kintail ; John, died 1741 ; Duncan ; Colin, killed at Sheriffmuir in 1716 ; Christopher, killed at Sheriffmuir ; John Og, joined the Roman Catholic Mission in Kintail ; Mary ; Isabella (marr. John Macrae of Conchra) ; Katherine (marr. Donald Macrae of Torlysich) ; Christina (marr. Donald Macrae of Morvich)."

SOURCE: Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae: the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation, Vol. VII, page 152

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Rev. Donald Macrae, who was the last Episcopalian Minister of Kintail. He succeeded his uncle, the Rev. Donald Macrae, third son of the Rev. Farquhar Macrae, as vicar of Kintail, in 1881. He was an ardent Jacobite and Episcopalian and at the Revolution of 1688 he refused to conform to Presbytery, so that Kintail remained Episcopalian for at least another quarter of a century. The Episcopal form of worship in the Highlands at this time differed very little, if any, from the Presbyterian form, as there appears to have been no prayer book used, so that the Rev. Donald would conduct his services after the abolition of Episcopacy and the establishment of Presbyterianism exactly as he did before. This no doubt explains to a great extent the apparent readiness with which the common people of those times passed from one form of worship to the other. But the leading men of Kintail looked at the underlying principles of their religion as well. The heavy loss sustained at Sheriffmuir, and the treatment to which they had so recently [been] subjected at the time of Battle of Glensheil, when Ellandonan Castle and their Episcopal Church in Kintail had both been destroyed, had produced among them a particular dislike of the Whig party, with which Presbyterianism was so closely associated. After the death of Rev. Donald Macrae many of them joined the RC Mission, which had recently been established among them by the Rev. Alexander Macrae, son of Rev. John Macrae, last Episcopalian Minister of Dingwall. Rev. Donald Macrae married Catherine Grant of Glenmoriston.