Donald Campbell - Bonnie Prince Charlie's Protector (2)
The Prince remained in Scalpay while
Donald MacLeod, in a boat lent by Campbell, went on
to Stornoway to obtain a ship. Alastair Alpine MacGregor
recounts the Prince's stay: "On Scalpay the alleged
son of the alleged merchant conducted himself affably.
He won the heart of Mrs Campbell, the tacksman's wife,
by taking an interest in her household economy. With
young Campbell, he actually went cod-fishing; and we
are told that, on returning from this fishing expedition,
he assisted in pulling a cow out of a bog." (Another
account states he did this single-handed). Donald MacLeod
had no trouble obtaining a ship: he was well known in
Stornoway and had often hired a boat to take to take
a cargo of meal to Skye. He sent back word to the Prince
in Scalpay to come with all haste. Donald Campbell procured
a boat for him, and on 4th May the party sailed for
Loch Seaforth and landed near the head of the loch.
From there they made their way on foot across the moor
to Arnish, arriving at the farmhouse of Kildun the following
morning. Here they stayed the night with Mrs MacKenzie,
but by this time word had got out of the Prince's presence,
and the whole town was in an uproar. While the inhabitants
were not necessarily pro-Hanovarian or anti-Jacobite
(they made no attempt to capture the Prince and claim
the £30,000), they wanted nothing to do with the
fugitive, and refused to let him enter the town or hire
the ship.
The fugitives left Arnish on the morning of 6th May,
and sailed back south for Scalpay. Off Kebbock head
they spotted two frigates, which the crew identified
as English vessels. To avoid capture, they rounded the
coast and put in to the small island of Iubhard at the
mouth of the loch. They remained there four days and
nights until they deemed it safe to proceed. On arrival
at Scalpay they found that Donald Campbell had gone
into hiding because the hospitality he had shown to
the Prince had become widely known. Charles was disappointed
not only at missing "his hospitable friend"
to whom he wished " to pay his respects for the
remarkable civilities he had shown", but also because
his absence necessitated his immediate departure. He
continued south to Uist, where he met Flora MacDonald
- the rest is history.
