Donald Munro of Foulis

Who was Donald Munro of Foulis?

Donald Munro is the first traditional chief of the Clan Munro.

There is no existing contemporary evidence for Donald's existence however he is documented in several later family manuscripts such as the Coul MS and Munro Tree 1734.

According to early 18th-century historian Alexander Nisbet, with no quoted source; The first of the name of the family, was Donald, son of O'Caan Ro's, a nobleman upon the Water of Ro in Ireland, who came to Scotland with some forces to the assistance of Malcolm II against the Danes; the King for his good-service gave him the lands of East-Dingwall, which he called "Ferin-Donald". i.e. "Donald's Lands": And he was called Donald a Bunro in respect of his father's residence on the Water of Ro in Ireland; and thereafter, by the change of the letter "B" to "M", his descendents were called Munros. They got also other lands in Scotland, which they called Foules, from a place in Ireland, of that name, called "Loch-Feul". Donald's father, O'Caan is said to have been the Prince of Fermanagh.

The lands spanning the parishes of Kiltearn and Alness, north of Dingwall, are known as Ferindonald, from the Gaelic Fearan Domhnull.