Editing Flora MacDonald (section)

==Early life==
Flora MacDonald was born in 1722 at [[Milton (South Uist)|Milton]] on [[South Uist]] in the [[Outer Hebrides]], third and last child of Ranald MacDonald (d. 1723) and his second wife, Marion. Her father was a member of the minor gentry of [[Clan MacDonald of Clanranald]], being [[tacksman]] and [[Leasehold estate|leaseholder]] of Milton and [[Balivanich]]. She had two brothers, Angus, who later inherited the Milton tack, and Ronald, who died young.{{sfn|Douglas|2004}} 

[[File:Sunset, South Uist - geograph.org.uk - 603223.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Sunset on [[South Uist]], where MacDonald was born in 1722]]

Particularly in the [[Hebrides]], elements of the [[Clan Donald]] remained faithful, despite [[religious persecution]], to the [[Catholic Church in Scotland|Catholic Church]], but Flora came from South Uist's [[Protestant]] minority. According to [[Scottish Episcopal Church]] Bishop [[Robert Forbes (bishop)|Robert Forbes]], "Miss MacDonald is Protestant, and is descended from the family of Clanranald by her father, and of an [[Anglican clergyman|Episcopal clergyman]] by her mother."<ref> Robert Forbes (1895), ''The Lyon in Mourning: Or a Collection of Speeches, Letters, Journals Etc., Relative to the Affairs of Prince Charles Edward Stuart. Volume I'', Printed at the University Press by T. and A. Constable for the Scottish History Society. Page 114.</ref>

Through her uncle Maighstir Alasdair MacDhòmhnaill, [[Scottish Episcopal Church|Episcopalian]] [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|Rector]] of [[Kilchoan]] and a Clanranald tacksman of [[Dalilea]], [[Moidart]], she was first cousin to [[Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair]]. Along with [[Sorley MacLean]], the latter is considered one of the two most important figures in [[Scottish Gaelic literature]].{{Sfn|Thomson|1983|p=184}}

Her father died soon after her birth and in 1728 her mother married again, this time to Hugh MacDonald, [[Tacksman]] of [[Armadale, Isle of Skye]]. MacDonald was brought up by her father's cousin, Sir Alexander MacDonald, [[Scottish clan chief|Chief]] of [[Clan Macdonald of Sleat]]. Suggestions she was educated in [[Edinburgh]] cannot be confirmed.{{sfn|Douglas|2004}}

On 6 November 1750, she married Allan MacDonald, a captain in the [[British Army]] whose father was Sir Alexander's steward, and tacksman of [[Kingsburgh, Skye]].{{sfn|MacInnes|1899|pp=15-24}} They had seven surviving children, two daughters and five sons, two of whom were lost at sea in 1781 and 1782; a third son John made his fortune in India, enabling his parents to spend their last years in some comfort.{{sfn|Douglas|2004}}