Macdonalds Restaurant & Guest House History

Macdonalds Restaurant & Guest House has been run by the Macdonald family since 1959.

The site was first leased from the feudal superior Archibald Butter of Faskally in 1864 to Robert McGregor, merchant, Kinloch Rannoch and Peter Morrison, mason, Dalcapon.

In 1888 Robert McGregors eldest son then a farmer and grazier of Minandee Station, Darling River , New South Wales , Austrailia sold the lease to Francis Henry, merchant, Pitlochry.

His eldest son John Alexander Henry inherited in 1910 and in 1912 resided in Winnnipeg , Canada and then sold itin 1942 while living in Detroit , Michigan .

The new owners were 4 sisters; The McHardy sisters, Jemima, Catherine, Elspeth and Jessie. They are known to have run a Guest House on this site and in the Second World War it was a rest and recreation centre used by the Royal Netherlands Navy.

In 1945 Mrs Margaret Brown took over and run it as a Guest House until 1959.

Donald Macdonald, a native of Harris in the Outer Hebrides , and formerly of Struan Inn, Calvine took over then. He created the café next door in 1961 and the fish and chip shop in 1963. His son Neil became a partner in 1971. Donald retired in 1977.

Neil and his wife Laurie, from Chicago , Illinois , now run the business which occupies the site of 41 square poles, 10 square yards, in the parish of Moulin.

Restrictions on what can be done on the site are laid down by the Feudal Charter (the feu).

Some interesting clauses in the feu seem unusual but in fact were common in legal parlance. Namely; it is not lawful to lay down any dung or manure, wood, coal fuel or any other materials. No candle works, soap works, glass works, sugar works, vitriol works, or works for making glue or cudbear or bricks or patter works, tanning of leather, refining of tallow, slaughtering of cattle, distilleries or iron foundries. No nauseas chemical operations or noisy manufacture, and finally no stone quarrying