MACDONALD'S HISTORY. GOING BACK 5,000 YEARS?

I had an email in to-day from Canada. This is what Robert said.

MY GRANDMOTHER ASHLEYS MOTHER WAS A WINKLER FROM NEUSTADT ,ONTARIO.  ROBERT G MAC DONALD. B.A.M.D. retired and living in Quebec,canada.I am Quebec rep for Clan Donald of Canada.I saw your picture to day while looking over Glencoe Viking story. I have Vikings disease. Interesting. (Readers need to see the lowest paragraph on our Viking page in our website to which this comment refers. http://www.bayviewkentallen.co.uk/glencoevikings.html)

Hello Robert. That is interesting.

So you have Viking DNA in you.

And you are a part descendant from middle Europe as well. There was a mass of Central Europeans – Polish many of them – who left the Continent in the mid 1800’s to go to either England or the USA. In both places they were free from the Wars in Europe and free from persecution. The US ones settled mostly in St. Louis. Look at the St. Louis telephone books for the pages of Winklers there.

I’ll tell you something about the MacDonald's you probably don’t know. No one knows this because it is a very modern theory put forward by the most renowned archaeologist in the country.

There is a period of pre-history called the Obanian period. This is where they found remains of Mesolithic people in the five caves. They date these remains to the period between Mesolithic and Neolithic, the only remains of this kind of this period in the country. Why? Because the rest of the similar sites around the country have sunk without trace below the rising sea levels. Around this time and later they found goods which were imported, particularly so much later when metal came to be worked.

Cunliffe points out that the trade in goods between Spain, Britanny and the rest of the continent and Scotland would have caused great wonder to the communities seeing these things for the first time. The men who brought in the goods were seamen, they knew about boats, tides, weather, stars, currents, navigation and suchlike. Because of this they would have had great status in the community. They would be very highly respected because of their deeds, and their stories and their knowledge. Leaders. All the coastal communities would have had high status compared to the new farmers inland.

In Scotland, in the West, these people became known as the MacDonald's – almost an independent kingdom – not for nothing much later were they called the Lords of The Isles. No one dominated the waters like the MacDonald's until the Vikings came. 

John

WEATHER WEST COAST
Weather Misconceptions Glencoe Oban Fort William and West Coast
January February Weather Glencoe Oban Fort William and West Coast
March April Weather Glencoe Oban Fort William and West Coast
May June Weather Glencoe Oban Fort William and West Coast
Jul August Weather Glencoe Oban Fort William and West Coast
September October Weather Glencoe Oban Fort William and West Coast
November December Weather Glencoe Oban Fort William and West Coast
Wind in the mountains and West Coast
What to do about Rain in Scotland
PHOTOGRAPHERS GLENCOE
Glencoe is the photographers paradise
Photographic locations Glencoe
Winter Photography Glencoe

OBAN PEOPLE MAY BE 8,500 YEARS OLD, SOME OF THEM

Scottish harpoon head made from the antler of deer. Dated to 4500 bc. Impressive?

Oban is famous amongst archaeologists who study very ancient people. Rubbish found in caves in the area has been dated to Mesolithic times. Because Mesolitihc people did not have permanent sites, they moved from place to place, their remains are very few and far between. Some of them are now underwater as sea levels have risen.

Dating evidence shows that the Oban finds were of the time when the older Mesolithic people, morphed into the Neolithic people who tended to farm and stay in one spot. It is the dating of this borderline between the two which makes the place so unique and important. Why, how, did the hunter gatherers, turn into farmers? This period is actually called the Obanian period.

On a Ne/Sw ridge facing inland is the rock shelter, Druimvargie. Inside they discovered marine shells, crab claws, red deer bones fish and wild fowl all in a midden.

Basically these middens are mounds of rubbish. This can be analysed in many different ways these days, and dated. They are found all around Oban Bay, for example near Dunollie castle, and they have found some on the Island of Oronsay nearby.

One other interesting thing. Very interesting if you have a mind like mine. The early Neolithic people in this area depended upon the sea for a living. They knew about navigation, about tides, about holding a course, about waypoints, about navigable channels, about boat handling, This was different from the knowledge of people from the interior. Professor Barry Cunliffe, the only famous one who is not on Time Team suggests that these higher skills would have given these coastal people a much higher status in ancient communities. They were the ones who could bring in the exotic stuff from foreign parts. They were the ones with tales to tell of far away lands.

Bring it up to date more and for centuries the MacDonald clan sailed these waters and commanded all the Islands. No one could move here without a MacDonald say so. About 1,000 years it lasted. Not for nothing were they called the Lords of the Isles.

Yes, I know. Every now and again, I go off on one. Hobby horsing around again...
John
WEATHER WEST COAST
Weather Misconceptions Glencoe Oban Fort William and West Coast
January February Weather Glencoe Oban Fort William and West Coast
March April Weather Glencoe Oban Fort William and West Coast
May June Weather Glencoe Oban Fort William and West Coast
Jul August Weather Glencoe Oban Fort William and West Coast
September October Weather Glencoe Oban Fort William and West Coast
November December Weather Glencoe Oban Fort William and West Coast
Wind in the mountains and West Coast
What to do about Rain in Scotland
PHOTOGRAPHERS GLENCOE
Glencoe is the photographers paradise
Photographic locations Glencoe
Winter Photography Glencoe

Can no one stop this wind?

Skiing conditions are brilliant at Glencoe. But the wind is wrecking everything.

I would hate to run a ski resort in this country. Fancy having brilliant snow but no access to it! Andy and his team are working flat out to repair 5 lift sheds blown away in the wind, only to find more damage with the next gale.


Their new Microlodge development should open in the Spring. Its way behind schedule because of all the storm damage

Once the wind settles down they should be in great shape for the season with a deep base on the top and mid mountain.

Andy, you and the team are heroes. And the forecast for wind looks ok for next week.

Skiing Glencoe- have a look

John
Some links.

Lochside cottage near Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland
Last minute, late availability Glencoe, self catering cottage
20 brilliant walks around our cottage area
Easy hill walks in Glencoe
Why not walk up Ben Nevis one day?
Easier Munroe walks in Glencoe
Skiing Glencoe, cottage is about 25 minutes
Video. Skiing on Glencoe mountain
Weather in the West of Scotland
Rock and Ice climbing in Glencoe
Cycling and fishing Glencoe
Spectacular wild life around our cottage
Golf in the Highlands, Dragons tooth golf course, Glencoe
Cruising the islands, using Glencoe as a base
Safe, beautiful beaches and bays in Glencoe area
Touring the Highlands by car from Glencoe,
Spring breaks, March April May Glencoe
Winter breaks, Jan Feb March in the cottage
Autumn breaks November December in the cottage
Our new Appin blog site