Best of British Getaways 2025/ 6 Following his decisive defeat in the Battle of Culloden in 1746, Bonnie Prince Charlie was on the run. He managed to escape up through Scotland, eventually settling on Uist, where he was first introduced to Flora MacDonald. Flora became part of a group that planned to smuggle the Prince over to the Isle of Skye, where he would be safer. Despite not being a keen Jacobite supporter herself, Flora felt compelled to help the Prince, who by this time had a price of £30,000 on his head and was being hunted all over the Highlands. After taking the disguised Prince over to Skye by boat (an act immortalised throughout the region by a famous song) Flora left the shore where they had landed to seek out Sir Alexander and Lady Margaret, who lived at Monkstadt House. She knew they were sympathisers to the cause, and that they could see the Prince provided with the support he needed to embark on the next stage of his plan to escape back out to Europe. However, after arriving at their house, Flora was surprised to be greeted by Lt. Macleod and a group of Red Coat Officers. They were looking for the Prince and were hot on his tail. Luckily, Flora was able to convince the men that she new nothing of the Prince or his whereabouts. Once they left, Flora was able to speak with Lady Margaret, whose concern for the Prince’s welfare led her to give Flora the provisions so they could continue on to their next residence, Kingsburgh House. A few days later, the Prince escaped. Flora ended up in the Tower of London for her part in the plan, but she was eventually freed after Lady Margaret intervened. Although she would never meet the Prince again, their story became immortalised in Scottish folklore. Flora herself was even commemorated in a bronze statue erected outside of Inverness Castle in the late 1890s. Her legacy lives on further through Monkstadt 1745, the site of her visit to Lady Margeret and encounter with the Red Coat Officers, which is today a luxury lodge and a beacon of heritage tourism. Vacated by the MacDonalds in the late 1790s – following the restoration of Armadale Castle, which is just down the road in Sleat – Monkstadt House and its grounds were inhabited by a variety of tacksmen, farmers, and land workers in the following decades, before falling into a state of disrepair. This trend continued until the early 1980s, when the MacQueen family bought Monkstadt House and its steadings in order to restore them to glory. “The story of Monkstadt House, Bonnie Prince Charlie, and Flora McDonald is a story that every child in Scotland has heard. It is full of mystery, romance, and intrigue.” J. W. MacQueen, the man who bought Monkstadt House, would sadly pass away as a young man, leaving his son to take on the project and begin rebuilding all of its steadings over a period of about 30 years. Poor health forced him to retire, leading James, his brother, to purchase the House in 2018, finally finishing this family project. This was a huge source of pride for James, who officially opened Monkstadt 1745 around five years ago. The story of Flora MacDonald and Bonnie Prince Charlie is famous across Scotland, with the former, a young woman from the Highlands, risking her life in order to help the latter, a fugitive who led the Second Jacobite Rebellion, escape Scotland after losing the Battle of Culloden in 1746. The site of this famous story was the Isle of Skye, in particular Monkstadt House (the residence of Clan MacDonald Chief Sir Alexander). Today, this is the home of Monkstadt 1745, the island’s best luxury lodge getaway. Below, we take a look at this historic residence and the story behind its fame. Best Luxury Lodge Getaway 2025 - Isle of Skye & Excellence Award in Heritage Tourism 2025
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