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| Eilean Donan - Image Source |
Bertha Clarice Copeland Inglish, Ralph’s maternal grandmother, would often get a dreamy look in her eye as she’d say, “You know, we have a castle in Scotland? The MacRae Castle!”
I imagine that Bertha had grown up being told stories of her Scottish ancestors. Her mother was a McRae(1)—Mary Ann McRae (1853-1899)—and it was Bertha’s great grandfather (Ralph’s 3rd great grandfather)—Hugh Bain McRae (1761-1853)—who had immigrated from Scotland to America.(2)
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| Bertha Clarice Copeland Inglish and her mother Mary Ann McRae Copeland (Ralph's grandmother and great grandmother) |
Grandmother Bertha couldn’t say where “their” castle was located, so Ralph and Ella started doing a little more research. They initially came up empty handed: there are no castles in Scotland named “The MacRae Castle.”
However, when Ralph and Ella were on their first trip back to Scotland (in the late 1990’s), they asked around and finally found someone who had more information: It’s the Eilean Donan Castle (pronounced “EEE-lan DAWN-an”), perched on an island where three lochs meet in the western Highlands. With its prominent location and stunning backdrop, it has become one of the most widely recognized castles in all of Scotland.
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| Eilean Donan, located in the western Highlands |
Eilean Donan means "island of Donnán” (Donnán was a Celtic saint), and the first fortified castle was erected here about the mid-13th century. The castle later got the nickname of the “MacRae Castle” because the MacRae clan became constables to it in 1509, ensuring the safety of the MacKenzie clan, who were the lairds, and protecting and maintaining the surrounding areas.(3)
In 1719 much of the castle was destroyed in a Jacobite uprising, and it was in this state for 200 years until purchased by Lieutenant Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap, a descendant of the last MacRae constables. He spent 20 years (from 1911 to 1932) painstakingly restoring it to its former glory.
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| Eilean Donan in ruins, before fully restored in 1932. Image Source. |
What’s interesting to note is that the castle as we see it now was not in this state until 1932. The castle that Grandmother Bertha was told about what likely the version of it in ruins, as her ancestors had immigrated in the 1800s. Wouldn’t she really think it was dreamy if she saw it now!
Also interesting: Robert the Bruce is believed to have sheltered at Eilean Donan during the winter of 1306 to 1307— our family lines cross (he is Ella’s 20th great grandfather)!(4)
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Filmed 24 November 2020 (Min 3:34)
I know that many of our family have made a pilgrimage to this site. Have a photo you'd like share? Let me know! I'd love to add it.
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| McRae descendants return - 2008 |
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| KF and sister AG - 2008 |
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Sources:
- Conversation recorded with Ralph on 9 July 2016.
- Video recorded of Ralph on 24 November 2020.
- Additional information referenced from these sites:
Notes:
- Note that our family line spells their surname as “McRae” while the clan is “MacRae.” Did our ancestors ever spell it as the latter variation?
- We’re still trying to determine when Hugh Bain McRae (1761-1853) immigrated to the United States. I’d love to know why and how too! A journey of that distance at that time in history doesn’t sound like a comfortable one. Did he come when he was 8 years old, with his parents, Malcolm M. McRae (1743-1834) and Isabel Bain (1745-1817)? Some info seems to suggest that.
