Donald Macdonald was born on 1^st January 1783 on the estate of Glengarry at Drumcastle on the border of Rannoch . At 25 years of age he had decided to study for the ministry of the Church of Scotland, subsequently graduating from St Andrews University in 1816. On the 2^nd August of that year, the 33 year old student was ordained to the presbytery of Abertarff and for eight years served as missionary in the braes of Glengarry. During these years, MacDonald met a Catholic priest, another MacDonald, who subsequently emigrated to Canada. In the summer of 1824 this priest wrote MacDonald, inviting him to join him in Montreal, where, he assured him, he could exercise his calling as a Kirk minister.

 At 41 years of age, with few possessions apart from the bare necessities and his violin Donald MacDonald left home for Greenock from where he made a "stormy" journey to America. He did not however reach his intended destination but, due to bad weather, was forced to come ashore at Pictou, Nova Scotia, from where he made his way, a short time later, to Cape Breton Island.

  During the year he spent in this area he preached in different parts of the island, spent time with the Indians learning their language, and in the evenings sat in a lonely hut playing his fiddle.In the autumn of 1826 MacDonald boarded a ship bound for Quebec but, despite this found himself instead on Prince Edward Island . Conditions there were basic to say the least and, although his brother Findlay had emigrated to PEI in 1825, Donald MacDonald was homeless during the first six months of his life on the Island. During the early summer of 1827 he preached for a Church of Scotland congregation. However, by the winter of that year he had given up preaching all together. At that time people speak of seeing him outside reading his bible and "acting as if the reading of it caused him great trouble". Rumours of "melancholy or derangement" began to circulate. However, he tells his own story of this time:-

 "For seven months I was in great affliction. The burden of my sins was almost unbearable. I could draw no consolation from the fact that my head was stored with literary knowledge and that I was a preacher for many years. It was rather an aggravation of my misery".

 Thinking his condition may have been due in some measure to his not having been baptised by immersion he turned to the small Baptist community for help. However, they declined to baptise him, due, there is little doubt, to his being unable to "make the profession required of applicants for immersion".

 His own account continues:- "One day, being at my wits end I retired to my bedroom (in a friends home) and there fell on my knees but I had no utterance in prayer, my head seemed as dry as a piece of cork. But thanks be to God I was relieved. My bands were burst asunder. My soul was brought out of prison. Old Things passed away and all things were become new. I was filled with joy and peace in believing, my closed lips were opened and I spoke aloud in these words; "The unbounded mercy of God and the all sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ"! He wept aloud in his joy. His host, overhearing his guest upstairs and thinking his mind had finally snapped ran in to the room, making it clear he was no longer welcome! Before leaving the next morning MacDonald brought out a large pack of manuscript sermons, all of which, except one, were burnt!

 Two days after this experience Donald MacDonald was lying in bed, awake in the morning when he heard a voice "uttering loudly and distinctly the words; "the time is come". He was naturally alarmed and suspected that his end may have come! A short time later as he was about to leave the settlement where he had been residing, he went out to the field to say his farewells to some children. As he shook hands with a twelve year old girl whose surname was Matheson he asked her did she pray. On answering "no" she burst in to tears and fell to the ground. MacDonald returned to the girls home and prayed with the whole family. The girls brother and cousin were also "awakened" a short time later.

 MacDonald’s preaching changed dramatically. A new "power and authority" was now evident and its impact was soon felt. He preached on weekdays, as well as on Sunday, in private homes, in school houses, in barns and on the Hillside. On special occasions MacDonald would speak for six hours without intermission.

 Seeking co-operation and sympathy MacDonald began looking round the various Christian denominations. He visited several of their ministers but to him they appeared "cold and formal". The situation was summed up by his biographer, "The Kirk ministers were few and anti - revival. The Seceeders were anti-Kirk, so he could not join either".

 A new church was built at Murray Harbour Road became the nerve centre of a parish which extended from one end of the Island to the other. The first communion was held here in Summer 1829. There were approximately fifty communicants.

 Revival now spread rapidly throughout the Island. chiefly among Highland emigrants who at that time were arriving in large numbers. Many were from Skye and its surrounding islands and many had heard, even before leaving their homeland, of the stir caused in PEI by "Black MacDonald of Glengarry".

 Reaction against the spreading revival was violent. The new converts had stones, sticks and mud thrown at them. Roads were even barricaded at night to prevent their passing. As the revival became more and more powerful MacDonald’s enemies made threats on his life on a number of occasions. Consequently, he would not travel at night or alone even through the day.

 His style of preaching and its results are described as follows by one eye witness:- "He was not long preaching when his voice arose and the look of trouble gave place to a bright and beaming countenance. He preached Christ from the text with great power and awakening eloquence. There was much weeping and crying for mercy among the hearers that day with the swaying motions that usually accompany a distressed state of mind".

 One of the first meetings where revival broke out was held in a house near West River. Of that meeting it is reported that "40 or 50 were awakened during the deliverance of the sermon by Mr MacDonald …. "

 As the revival continued physical manifestations became very prominent. This was to become known as "The Work" and was most evident where the revival was, if we can use the term, most successful. One man stated, "I was almost thrown from my seat .... my arms and upper body were jerked .... I though I was to be a sign and a warning to the wicked and that hell would soon be my doom and abode. Mr MacDonald stopped preaching and came down where I was sitting, he put his hand on my shoulder and said; "I understand your case young man, you will be all right". And so it was, as a short time later the "work" gave way to "the spirit of true repentance, and a vehement desire for godliness".

 These manifestations and resultant conversions could be found taking place in various places. Some were "moved" while travelling on the road, working in the fields, in their homes and in private prayer. With many others there was no physical manifestation only a "thrilling through and through of the whole body". Some who came in to the various revival meetings to mock suddenly found themselves "arrested and alarmed". Of these a few were seen to "run in great terror from the building" never to return.

 As the revival continued outward expressions of relief and joy were not uncommon. At a prayer meeting on Shore Street a woman by the name of Campbell who was "under heavy conviction of sin was seen to move as if uplifted and overpowered by some inexpressible emotion. She was finally lifted to her feet and with rapid but measured dancing and strong clapping of hands she poured out her soul in praise and glory to Jesus Christ who "saved my soul …. " as if unconscious to all surrounding object".

 In the early summer if 1866 at 83 years of age MacDonald’s health began to fail. He spent some months confined in the home of his brother Findlay. He left his brother's home in October but was soon confined once more at the home of a friend William MacLeod, a Skye man. It was here on the 21^st of February the following year that he died.

 At the time of his death Donald MacDonald, left behind 12 churches, with approximately 2000 communicant members and some 5000 adherents.

 The above account has been abbreviated from a more complete account compiled by Steve Taylor at http://www.skye2000.freeserve.co.uk/