Location P - Rossinish 2nd Visit: Bonnie Prince Charlie Trail

About

DATES

28th June 1746. Rossinish, Benbecula. The Prince finally escapes from Uist with Flora MacDonald disguised as an Irish spinning maid Betty Burke.

HISTORY

Neil MacEachain's Narrative of the Wanderings of Prince Charles in the Hebrides:

"The prince, stripped of his own clothes, was dressed by Miss Flora in his new attire, but could not keep his hands from adjusting his head dress, which he cursed a thousand times. There they lay till the evening, waiting impatiently for the night to set off. Here they were alarmed by five wherries the same, as they supposed, that landed the Campbells the night before in Benbecula, supposing, by taking this precaution, to keep the prince from making his escape. But their fears were soon over; for the wherries  sailed by to the southward without ever stopping. After sunset they got into their boat, which was managed by the following persons - Rory McDonald, John McDonald, John McMurich, Duncan Campbell, and Rory McDonald of Glengarry family; the prince passed for Miss McDonald's maid, and Neil McDonald in the quality of a servant.

The weather proving calm in the beginning of the night, they rowed away at a good rate. The prince, who, all this time, was not in the least discouraged, encouraged them to row still better, saying that he would relieve him that was most fatigued. The poor men, almost ready to breathe out their last, at length made the point of Waternish[9]  on the north corner of the Isle of Skye, where, having got into a cliff in a rock, they rested themselves for an hour, and at the same time revived their drooping spirits with a plentiful repast of bread and butter, while the water that fell from the top of the rock furnished them drink. This gave them fresh vigour for to undertake the remaining part of their labour they landed in  Kilbride in Troternish within a cannon shot of Sir Alexander MacDonald's house."

WALK

There is a moderate walk you can do from Reuval to Rossinish. Details of the route are here.

Next location on the trail is Location Q - Lochboisdale