Scotlandphotos

Trip to Scotland

Does a person really need a reason to visit a land reputed to be one of the most beautiful in the world? My
desire alone could have taken me to Scotland. However, the purpose of this trip was to connect an
ancestor, in this case my husbands, to his country of origin. It is the only way to understand a culture and
one’s own paternally inspired thoughts and beliefs.
My husband’s ancestor was James Mackay who was born May 1, 1761, in Arichliney, Parish of Kildonan,
County of Sutherland, north part of Scotland.
This is according to passed down family documents, since births were not generally recorded during that
period in Scotland. He died March 16, 1822 in St. Louis, Missouri. James is well known for having explored
the Missouri River, for The Fur Company trade from Canada and then for The Spanish Louisiana Territory
nearly a full decade before Lewis and Clark found their way up the river. For posterity James left Maps,
Journals and notes on the Natives Americans.
I had just finished writing a Centennial Cookbook and family histories for the City of Irving, Texas where I
live, when James Mackay began to make himself known to me in the manner of waking me at 3:00 am to let
me know he was still around. I had not planned to write his story, but, there was this insistent pulling. Once,
the decision was made to get James’ story down in print, all manner of material began to find its way to me.
I made a decision to travel to Scotland and visit the ruins of James’ home near the Achentoul Forrest.
Since James Mackay’s 242nd birthday would be on May 1st, I planned to make my trip correspond with
that date. With the help of Elizabeth Fraser who gave me the names of James Innes and his son Andrew,
an excellent bagpipe player. I planned to celebrate James Mackay’s life by having the bagpipes played at
the old ruins where he was born. If you might recall, bagpipes were supposed to be banned after the battle
Culloden.
My friend Ruth Lowery and I arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland, the morning of April 23rd, 2003. We were met
with unusually nice weather for the time of year. We picked up our rented car and checked into a hotel in
the old part of Edinburgh for the night. We had plenty of daylight left, so we took to the streets for a little
exploration. The really outstanding thing about Edinburgh is the bagpipe players, in full ceremonial kilts
standing on one corner or another playing. The music added so very much to the ancient atmosphere of
the city as well as a wonderful welcome to Scotland. To me the pipes imparted something that can be
found no where else in the world. They fairly beg a person to find the secrets hidden in that country.
One of our first stops was an old book store, where I found “Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character”
by Dean Ramsay written in 1872 but extending to references of the early Eighteenth Century. It is a
perfect book to use for reference material in writing about the life of James Mackay.
Next morning our first side trip was to Rosslyn Chapel, said to be the hiding place of the Secrets of the
Knights Templar. It was a beautiful and certainly mysterious place, but no secrets fell into our hands.
However, it is written that all will be reveled around the year of 2012. Since the Chapel was founded in
1450, we haven’t much longer to wait. From Rosslyn we drove to St. Andrew, visited the golf shops for a
few souvenirs and then headed across country through the Grampian Mountains, which were not
gorgeous scenery, except for the yellow and gold broom which was in full color across the bottom of the
mountains. The heather was not yet blooming, with it’s dark green, nearly black, foliage, the landscape
looked more as if had been burned, but next month when the heather is blooming it is sure to be
breathtaking.
We lodged at Bed and Breakfast, which are quite plentiful, that range in price from 15 to 25 pounds per
person including a full Scottish breakfast. The breakfast included bacon, sausage, blood pudding, eggs,
broiled tomatoes and sometimes grapefruit and mandarin orange slices, toast and jelly, hot tea or coffee. If
the Scottish breakfast wasn’t the thing for you, there was a choice of oatmeal or cold cereal.
I tried the blood pudding several times. It is spicy and not unlike eating spicy bread in texture, but the more
it is cooked, a little crispy, the better it tasted.
On two occasions I ate Haggis with “Neeps and Tatties”. I liked the hot, peppery taste of haggis and
enquired about its making. The secret of keeping haggis from being soggy, I was told, is the use of “pin
head” oatmeal, a rather course type of oatmeal which is toasted before adding it to the heart, liver and
lungs of the lamb to make the haggis. Of course, most people, it seems, buy it already prepared and ready
to put into the oven. Would you believe, I can make “Texas Haggis?”
Our trip extended up the coast line and all the way over to John O’groats and along the coast and
eventually to Helmsdale. We visited castles, cathedrals, ancient stones and stone circles as well as ancient
Brochs.
We visited the Islands of Skye and Orkney. Everything we saw was of great interest and we found it
amazing that even the new houses looked much the same as those built one or two hundred years ago.
The houses are mostly stucco and grey or light brown in color and built in the old style, being two story
rectangular boxes with steep slate roofs and a chimney at one or both ends. Changes are slow in coming
to the Scottish Highlands, which was just fine with me. I loved the atmosphere and the tremendous age of
the country. We visited the old Wick Parish Church of Scotland where the parents and grandparents of
James Mackay are buried.
We arrived in Helmsdale on the West Coast, closest town to our destination, on April 29th and contacted
the people with whom I had been corresponding as well as James Mackay Innes and his son Andrew who
played the pipes for our birthday celebration on May 1st. We met with James and Andrew on the evening
of April 30th for dinner at “La Mirage”, a famous local restaurant. The proprietors Nancy and her son Don
were a delight and took us right in and made sure we found all the people we were looking for. The locals
showed us sincere friendship and generosity and were delighted with the ceremony we were planning. We
visited with Elizabeth Fraser and her family as well as Christine Mackay who is director of the Clearances
Center in Helmsdale. Andrew has been winning Bagpipe Competitions since he was fourteen; he is now
nineteen and has become quite well known. It was most fortunate that we found him.
We stopped at a cheese making company in the County of Caithness and were told; La Mirage Restaurant
in Helmsdale had the best fish and chips in Europe and I believe it. They were delicious!
We met with James and Andrew Innes at 12:30 pm on May 1st, and began our trip into the countryside and
to the Mackay ruins. We drove about 20 miles, along the Helmsdale River and the Strath of Kildonan
bordering the Caithness and Sutherland Counties, until we reached Achentoul Estate where we meet their
gamekeeper, Angus Ross, who took us out to the house site.
We had to cross “the flow” or bog for about 1 ½ miles in an open all terrain vehicle. The weather had
turned quite cold and it was supposed to snow, but it rained only a little on and off on the way out to the
ruins. However, our enthusiasm for the occasion overcame any thoughts of discomfort and I had dressed
warmly. It took about 30 minutes to drive a zigzag course across the bog.
We drove around the end of Loch Arichlinie to the house site. The house had overlooked the Loch near
the end where there was a lovely natural sand beach. Two Hundred and Fifty years ago it must have been
a stunningly beautiful place to live.
We had our ceremony the bagpipes were beautiful and very moving. Andrew played a shortened version
of Donald Mackay’s Lament. We then had a few much needed nips of single malt Scotch Whiskey, which
warmed us up indeed. We returned to the lodge and drove back towards Helmsdale, stopping on the way
to photograph the little parish church where the Mackay Family had attended worship services in Kinbrace.
The Rev. Donald Sage was one of the Parish Ministers, although it was after James Mackay had left. Rev.
Sage wrote a book called “Memorabilia Domestica; or Parish Life in the North of Scotland.” The book is a
good account of the lives of people from the area during the late Eighteenth and early Nineteenth Century.
The book is hard to find but can be purchased on CD.
Our last stop in Helmsdale was at La Mirage for a cup of hot tea, pancakes a few more chips, and a last
goodbye to our new friends. We were then off to Edinburgh.
We hadn’t gotten enough of Rosslynn Chapel and had left a few books un-purchased, so we visited the
Chapel and Bookstore just one more time. There are books which promise to share the secrets of the
Knights Templar and the present day Freemasons.
After Rosslynn we went into the city for some more sightseeing. A Cookbook bookstore with new and used
cookbooks turned up a copy of “Meg Dods” recipe book written in 1827, the first Scottish Recipe book,
written just for Scotland. It was a treasure of a find.
As a tourist, the trip was fantastic and a step back into ancient history. For a genealogical researcher and
history buff, as they say in Arkansas, where I was born, “it was hog heaven.” Everything we did in Scotland
exceeded our very high expectations.
If you are contemplating a trip to Scotland, stop in at the Clearances Center in Helmsdale, it is right on the
highway A9, you will be traveling along the coast. The Center is a repository for the Clearances History as
well as a genealogical center where records can be gathered and stored. A large number of Americans
have Scottish ancestry and it would be wonderful if you would all take
Or send your genealogies to the Center for posterity. The Scots did great things for America, let’s all do
our best and remember our heritage.
Donations of genealogy material as well as monetary gifts can be made to: Clearances Centre, Project
Office, Helmsdale KW8 6HH, Scotland.
Telephone: 01431-821538, Fax: 01431-821740, Email: Christine@highland-clearances.co.uk
On my trip I took along Genealogical Data on the descendants of George Mackay and Elizabeth
MacDonald, with four generations back from them as well as the American descendants of James and
Isabella Long Mackay down to 1900. I
took documents on the explorations of James Mackay and other items relating to his life. They are now at
the centre just waiting for your visit.

Printed in Clan Mackay Society of the USA
Central East Region
September 29, 2003