South Uist has a long and turbulent history of inhabitation dating from at least c.3000 BC. Our croft sits on an area of land that has seen Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age peoples, as well as Vikings and clansmen of the Clan Ranald.

We have only begun to learn about the people who once lived here with the archaeological research recently conducted in Milton and in nearby townships. From the eighth century onwards, South Uist fell under Norse rule. Evidence of their inhabitation can be found in many place-names throughout the region. With the Treaty of Perth in 1266, South Uist fell from Norse rule and soon became property of the Lordship of the Isles, a powerful family that controlled the north west of Scotland. By the 1370's, South Uist was ruled by Ranald, a third generation ruler of the Lordship of the Isles. From Ranald came the branch of the MacDonald clan denoted by his name. The Lordship of the Isles was broken up in 1493. However, the Ranald branch of the MacDonalds continued to rule throughout most of the Uists. Remains of Caisteal Eilean Bheag Rum, one of Clan Ranald's castles can be seen on an islet near Howmore. Better preserved is the eighteenth century remains of Ormicleit Castle that caught fire on the eve of the Battle of Sherrifmuir (1715) at which Ailean, chief of Clan Ranald was killed.

Clan Ranald supported the Jacobite uprising of 1745 and it was Flora MacDonald of Milton who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape to Skye the following year. After the war, the clan chief adopted the role of landlord and the clansmen became crofters. Life for the Islanders became increasingly difficult owing to a number of factors (see Crofting) and many of the islanders began to immigrate to North America. In 1838, South Uist was sold to Colonel Gordon of Cluny thus ending almost 500 years of the islands control under Ranald and his descendants.

Archaeology
Milton and its neighbouring villages are home to a fascinating cross-section of archaeological sites that date from as early as c.3000 BC. In recent years, South Uist has become recognised as an exciting hotbed for new research. In the 1990's, archaeologists from Sheffield University uncovered prehistoric wheelhouses in Kilphedar, only about two and a half miles from Milton. A few miles south at Cladh Hallan in Daliburgh, the first mummified bodies ever found in Britain were recently excavated. From these Bronze Age finds, it was discovered that the ancient Celts in Uist were mummifying their dead around the same time as the ancient Egyptians. A short walk from our self-catering and B&B accommodations leads to one of the best preserved Chambered Cairns in the Western Isles. This large prehistoric structure, known as Barp Mhingearaidh, would have once been used by ancient inhabitants to entomb their dead. Even closer is an ancient crannog; a man-made island fort connected by semi and fully submerged stepping-stones. Many of these crannogs can be seen in other nearby lochs and date from around the first millennium when Norsemen began to inhabit the area.

Despite these and the many other prehistoric sites that exist near Milton, it is the relatively recent site of Flora MacDonald's birthplace that most visitors will best relate to.

Flora MacDonald (1722-1790)
Archaeologists recently excavated the small village of Arigh Mhuillean, located about 1/4 of a mile north of Milton. The village is believed to have been the birthplace of the famed Scottish heroine, Flora MacDonald, who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie to escape to Skye en route to France.

After the last major campaign for Scottish independence was ended at the battle of Culloden in 1746, government troops scoured the country for the now destitute Prince. He eventually made it back to the Western Isles where he was disguised as Flora's Irish maidservant, Betty Burke. The two then sailed over the Minch to Skye. After a close encounter with government authorities, Bonny Prince Charlie was handed over to Jacobite sympathisers and was subsequently returned safely to France.

However Flora's adventurous exploits would live on. She was sent to London after the war and was held under protective custody in the Tower of London until 1747. She was released after enough funds were raised by her supporters and returned to Edinburgh and then to Skye where she married and raised a family. She then emigrated with her family to North Carolina. Flora eventually returned to Skye while her husband and two sons fought in the American War of Independence. In 1790, she died in the village of Peingown, Skye, where some 3000 mourners are said to have attended her funeral.