Old photograph of the MacRae Shop in Spinningdale, Sutherland, Scotland. Spinningdale, Scottish Gaelic: Spainnigeada, is a hamlet on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth in eastern Sutherland, in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies 5 miles northeast of Bonar Bridge and is in the Scottish council area of Highlands. " Dale " is possibly from the Old Norse Dalr, meaning valley but more probably from Dail a Gaelic word for meadow or field and commonly found in placenames all over Scotland. It was referred to as " Spanigidill " in 1464, the pronunciation of which bears a close resemblance to modern Gaelic. The clans of the ancient Scottish Pictish tribe were the ancestors of the first person to use the name MacRae. It was name for a prosperous person. The Gaelic form of the surname MacRae is Mac Rath, which literally means son of grace or son of prosperity. The surname MacRae was first found in Inverness-shire, Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Nis, divided between the present day Scottish Council Areas of Highland and Western Isles, and consisting of a large northern mainland area and various island areas off the west coast, the shire was anciently both a Pictish and Norwegian stronghold, but their ancient history is often clouded with conjecture. It appears certain that they lived before the 14th century at Clunes, to the west of Inverness in the territories of the Fraser Clan. Consequently the family has always been friendly towards that Clan. From about 1400, they moved to the location with which they are readily associated, Kintail.
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