The Legend Of Alexander MacRae Lives On Great Scotsman Left His Mark On The Meadows By Sherrie Norris He spent his last years in America, but a truer Scot there never was. Descendants of Alexander MacRae say he became a loyal American citizen, but his heart never left his Highlands home. As the North Carolina High Country takes on the characteristics of MacRae’s beloved Scotland homeland this week for the gathering of the clans atop Grandfather Mountain, few of the thousands who come adorned with kilts and carrying their pipes, will realize that nearly a century ago, the meadow where they sing, dance and perform feats of physical strength and agility, was once called “home” to one of the greatest Scottish immigrants to cross the waters. Alexander MacRae is remembered by his off-spring as one who never allowed adversity to cloud his vision; a man of great physical prowess, who succeeded in America when many others were forced back to their native home, defeated and dejected. Life wasn’t always easy for Alex here in the new world, but he held his head high and paved the way for many generations to follow. Alexander MacRae was born in Glenelg in the rugged Highlands of Scotland on January 12, 1843. As he grew to be a man, he married Mary Ann MacLennan in Tobermary, Scotland on December 25, 1871. About fifteen years later, MacRae, who was a deep sea fisherman, sold his boat and gathered his family for a voyage to America, following thousands of other immigrants who had come across several years prior. Family references indicate his parting words on the seashore that day were plainly spoken in his native tongue, a message never forgotten, “Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North, the birthplace of valor, the country of worth.” Initially, it is believed that MacRae brought his family into the North Carolina coastal town of Wilmington, and found work, as most migrants did, in the fields of wealthy landowners. Many of those who came with hopes of prosperity became discouraged after the first harvests were brought in and the work was complete. With nothing else to do, the majority returned to their homeland, with broken hearts and shattered dreams. Alexander MacRae was one of few exceptions who persevered and was later able to purchase a home and farm in nearby Robeson County. It has been told through the years that MacRae missed his homelands terribly and was unaccustomed to the hot weather in his new home. It was through a chance meeting with brothers Hugh and Donald MacRae, (no relation to Alex) that he learned of the North Carolina mountains and their similarity to his native land, and later accepted employment with their family on the Grandfather Mountain property. At that time, it was known as the Linville Improvement Company; Alexander worked as a construction overseer, helping to build the Yonahlosssee Highway, a toll road that curved beneath the mountain, and wound its way from Linville to Blowing Rock. At about the same time, family and historians say, Alexander purchased a tract of land from the MacRae brothers that so resembled his Scottish Highlands, and upon that land he built a home for his large family. Prior to migrating from Scotland, he and his wife already had seven sons and one daughter; after arriving in America, they brought another son and daughter into the world. Two of the wee lads died while in Wilmington from the black measles. In 1899, Alexander MacRae built his own home, and what a home it was! Twenty rooms that later housed guests from all around and became known simply as “The MacRae House,” What a treat it must have been to have stayed there! Mary kept folks well fed and Alex entertained at house parties with his Scottish wit and wisdom, his authentic music and jigs, his bagpipes and powerful Gaelic brogue that could be heard wafting through the meadows at all hours of the day and night! Described as “a typical Highlander. . with huge hands, and certainly the last traditionally-taught piper to immigrate to North Carolina,” Alexander MacRae was one of the few, if not the only piper, in North Carolina at that time. With a longing inside that never went away, MacRae returned to Scotland at least twice to visit before death took him at the age of 87. The year of death has been questioned by some, but it is thought to have been 1929. The MacRae House maintained its personality through the years, even after Alexander’s death and Mary’s loss of sight due to glaucoma. It continued to welcome tourists for a few more years, under the management of their daughter, Isabella, until it was destroyed by fire in 1932. Most of the family’s prized possessions and documents were lost in the fire that left the Linville area devastated by the tragedy. Isabella and her husband later built another dwelling near the homeplace site, known also as the MacRae House, and opened it to guests, until a tragic accident claimed her life in 1941. Several of the MacRae sons headed west in their younger years, prospecting for gold and working in various capacities. Duncan is said to have owned a wheat farm in Alberta Canada, while twins, John and Alick, and brother Roderick, also went west but returned to settle in the Linville area and carried on many of their father’s values and traditions. John and Alick remained bachelors, as did brother Duncan and Alexander, Jr. Murdoch’s life ended at the young age of 20, due to milk poisoning. Roderick married a local girl, Annie Coffey in 1913, and they raised a large family, whose offspring still reside in the area. Daughter Katie, completed nurse’s training in Wilmington, where she spent much of her life until after her husband’s death. She then returned to Linville until her death in 1930. The saga of Alexander MacRae is a long one, filled with a few gaps along the way, but enough is recalled by family to reassure them of their deep-rooted heritage. They know that Alexander MacRae was a man who left his mark on the mountain meadow that now claims his name. They also know he stood for what he believed in and was not easily swayed by power and influence. He might be laid to rest just a few miles away in the Newland Cemetery and his heart might always remain in the rugged hills of Scotland, but some think his spirit returns each year following the Highland Games. It’s been told that a vision has appeared to several individuals over the years of a lone Scotsman making his way across the meadow, blowing softly upon his pipes, coming from where The MacRae House once stood. It’s a peaceful entrance, they say, with no fanfare . . . on a Sunday evening when all other activity has ceased . . . Maybe this is not where the story ends, after all. Our thanks to MacRae’s granddaughter Nina Braswell, a life-long resident of Avery County, who has researched her genealogy, and as all descendants of Mr. MacRae, holds a special place in her heart for family heritage. Mrs. Braswell contributed a wealth of knowledge to this article, in addition to Bill Caudill from Laurinburg, NC, a historian in his own right, who has done a vast research of other families who came from Scotland in the late 1800’s. As Director of the Scottish Heritage Center and Instructor of the Pipe Band at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, Mr. Caudill has been a long-time teacher of piping at the Valle Crucis Conference Center in July each year. His contribution to this feature came from an earlier interview he shared with the Mountain Times, but is timeless in its content.