Donald Monro (priest)

Donald Monro (or Munro) (fl. 1526–1574) was a Scottish clergyman, who wrote an early and historically valuable description of the Hebrides and other Scottish islands and enjoyed the honorific title of "Dean of the Isles".

Origins

Donald Monro was born early in the 16th century, the eldest of the six sons of Alexander Monro of Kiltearn, by Janet, daughter of Farquhar Maclean of Dochgarroch. His father was a grandson of George Munro, 10th Baron of Foulis (Chief of the Clan Munro) and his maternal grandfather was Farquhar MacLean of Dochgarroch, (Fearchar Mac Eachainn) Bishop of the Isles from 1529 to 1544. On Farquhar's resignation the bishopric passed to his son, and Donald Monro's uncle, Roderick MacLean (Ruaidhri Mac Gill-Eathain).

Career

Monro became the vicar of Snizort and Raasay in 1526 later noting that although the latter (and the adjacent island of Rona) pertained to the Bishop of the Isles "by heritage" that in practice it was held by "M'Gyllychallan of Raarsay be the sword". These were troubled times in the Highlands and Islands, with Domhnall Dubh's attempts to resurrect the Lordship of the Isles only failing on his death in 1545. Partly as a result, the See of the Isles was one of the poorest in Scotland and although Monro lists fourteen islands as belonging to its Bishop, in practice rents were hard to collect. He was nominated to the Archdeaconry of the Isles in or shortly after 1549.