Culloden Update: Lois MacDonell of Glengarry,widow of the 22nd Chief

[D.W.Livingston]

Hello everyone, I just wanted to give an update on where the Appin Marker campaign is and possibly add some issues for the overall respect NTS shows for Culloden. I'll be honest, I did not know about the walking path, but perhaps we (all the Scottish Clans of Culloden) do have a war on our hands over these things that needs to be fought by everyone and not just the Appin Regiment. To be told that it was approved to break up the link between the two Donald Markers by some Historians and having to walk the Hanoverian line to pay your respects to your Jacobite ancestors... what historians do the NTS employ??? David ----------- To Mr. David W. Livingston Dear Mr. Livingston, I hope you will excuse me taking the liberty of writing to you, but I thinkyou will bevery interested in what I have to say. I am Lois MacDonell of Glengarry,widow of the 22nd Chief and stepmother to Ranald the present Chief of Glengarry. Your e-mail message to Clan Livingstone Society Members has been forwarded to me, via Lt.-Col. Al Manning, High Commissioner of Clan Donald USA, and thus I have found your e-mail address. Firstly let me explain what happened earlier this year on Culloden Battlefield in relation to Clan Donald. Ever since the 250th anniversary ofthe Battle my husband and I - and now I alone - haveorganised the Clan Donald contingent on the occasion of the commemoration inApril, both on the Battlefield and afterwards at a lunch. We have beenaccustomed to attending the ceremony at the Main Cairn and then followingour piper to the Jacobite Line and laying wreaths on the Clan Donald woodenmarkers and then, after turning on to the path parallel to the road, theKeppoch and Clan Donald Stones. We then return via the Hanoverian Line andrepair for lunch. The situation now is that the path between the wooden markers and the twostones (which are listed hisotrical monuments) has been dug up. Thus thewooden markers are accessible via one long dead-end path, the Jacobite Line,and the two stones are only accessible via another dead end path leading offthe Hanoverian Line. This latter is an insult to Clan Donald, which is theonly clan obliged to use the Hanoverian Line. The rest is highlyinconvenient and not only divides Clan Donald in two, but also involves a very considerable amount of walking - and retracing of steps. I live near Inverness and today the AGM of the National Trust for Scotlandtook place near Inverness, at Culloden Academy, so I decided to attend.During the time forquestions I indicated that National Trust members and clan members from manyclans both at home and overseas were being alienated by the alterationswhich had been made on the Battlefield. The Chairman, Shonaig Macpherson,explained the situation in relation to the Appin Regiment marker and pointed out that she had learnt a great deal recently about this and that it was notpractical (as you yourself have suggested) to list all the clans, but theywould all be listed elsewhere. Thus the new proposal was the best solution!She added that in any event she had only received two letters on thissubject, one from yourself and one from another American. As to theBattlefield paths and the Clan Donald question she stated that shehad already made the views of the Trust clear to me and that the decisionwas well approved of by distinguished historians. I observed that the Trust did not appear to be particularly keen on having discussion on such things. Well, close of subject you might think, but the President of the NTS, theDuke of Buccleugh and Queensberry (who had chaired the meeting extremelyimpressively and without any pomposity), made a point of coming to talk tome at the lunch afterwards and he suggested that I might not have beensatisfied with the answer I received! I mentioned that the High Council ofClan Donald had recently written to him. He said he had seen the letter, butit had arrived a couple of days after the death of his father, the lateDuke, and that he had not been able to attend to it. Anyway, I was able tofill him on many more details. Concerning the Appin Regiment marker, I said that all you were asking was for the inscription to remain as it is now. I had a feeling that he had not been aware of this. I do hope that you will be pleased that your concerns have been raised at the NTS AGM and in particular with the duke, that you will be encouraged to pursue the matter further and, if possible, that you can give some assistance to those of us in Clan Donald who are so unhappy about the digging up of the path linking the two groups of Clan Donald markers. Yours sincerely, Lois MacDonell of Glengarry.

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi David, Please contact me as soon as possible. I have Kevin Livingstone our Clan Officer on side with some various interesting contacts of his own that I think will interest you greatly. My suggestion is you, Kyle and Kevin merge our talents and work with a unified strategy. I made a good start on a list of local Livingstone, Carmichaels, and McColls and few other folks who live in Western Argyll near the Baron and Appin and a few other organizations pertaining to Appin History and the Battle of Culloden to start. I have also suggested two or three prominent Scots that might have interest in our activities and where to contact them. I read your letter from Clan Donald with great interest and am not surprised. I got the same kind of story from Kevin Livingstone. This appears to be a pattern apparently. Keep in touch. Donald

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi David, I am afraid I would have to disagree with those from the National Trust who state it is "impractical" to have all the names of a clan marker or monument. Keith Livingstone of Australia has seen a old marble memorial stone to the Appin Regiment near the village of Portnacloish in Appin and observed that it was only about 3 feet by 2 feet. Surely there is ample space on that field which I have been to, for a stone of that size. I want every single clan on a marker or some sort of compromise acceptable to our Clan Chief. I challenge any Scot to tell me these Appin Clans don't deserve this honor alongside the Stewarts and McLarens. Well I guess were just no match for these "distinguished historians". I am still searching in vain to find the mysterious "Finlayson" for some insight into the thought processes of these "distinquished" but so far unknown "historians". regards, Donald

[Jerry]

Excellent news David! I was listed as one of the "other Americans" by Chairwoman Shonaig Macpherson