MacNeill House On History Visit To Island Of Colonsay Inner Hebrides Scotland

Tour Scotland travel video clip, with Scottish music, of the MacNeill House on ancestry, genealogy, history visit to Island Of Colonsay, Inner Hebrides. The central part of the house, was first built by the McNeill family in 1722. This is the earliest classical Georgian country house in Argyll. It has been extended twice in between 1722 and the early 20th century. The surname MacNeill was first found in on the islands of Barra, Gigha, Colonsay, and Oronsay. According to traditional records in 1049, Niall, a direct descendent of King Niall of the Nine Hostages, landed in Barra and founded the Clan MacNeill of Barra. Over the years, MacNeill has been spelled MacNeil, MacNeill, MacNeal, MacNeilage, MacNeale, MacNeall, MacNeille, MacNeel, MacNiel, MacGreal, Mcneil, Mcneill, McNeal, Mcneal, Mcneall and many more. The MacNeils of Colonsay obtained Colonsay in 1700 and owned it until 1904 when it was sold by John Carstairs McNeil. Major General Sir John Carstairs McNeill, born 28 March 1831, died 25 May 1904, was a senior British Army officer and Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was the son of Anne Elizabeth McNeill née Carstairs, and Alexander McNeill, born 1791, died 1850, brother of Duncan McNeill, Lord Colonsay, born 1793, died 1874, and of Sir John McNeill, born 1795, died 1883. His own brother was Alexander McNeill. He was educated at St Andrews University in Fife and at Addiscombe Military Seminary in what is now the London Borough of Croydon in England. McNeill was 33 years old, and a lieutenant colonel in the 107th Regiment of Foot Bengal Light Infantry, later The Royal Sussex Regiment, while serving as an Aide-de-Camp to Lieutenant General Sir Duncan Cameron during the Invasion of Waikato, one of the campaigns in the New Zealand Wars, when he was awarded the Victoria Cross. McNeill later achieved the rank of major general, and in retirement became an equerry to Queen Victoria. All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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