16197: Alexander Mackenzie

Alasdair Mackenzie (born circa 1788-1792) came to Uig from Clashmore in Stoer, Assynt, Sutherland. He was a soldier, and married Ann Mackenzie in 1818.

Family tradition maintains that Alasdair and Ann came to Uig in 1827, following her brother, another Alexander Mackenzie (father of Domhnall an Taillear in Islivig) who was known as An Ceistear (the Catechist) and who had arrived in Uig in 1824 at the time of the evangelical minister Alexander Macleod. The minister was also from Stoer and may have been a cousin of the family.

Alasdair first worked the croft in Timsgarry for the minister and catechist. When the village was cleared around 1840, the family moved to Aird, first to No.8 and later settled on No.1.

Tradition has it that the eldest children were born before 1827 in Assynt, and the rest in Uig, though it appears from the census that at least two (John 1826 and Elizabeth 1832) were born in Dunnet, Caithness. There may be another daughter, Isabella, but this seems to be a misreading of Elizabeth.

He died in 1864.