Biography

Donald MacCuaig was born and brought up in Partick, to a family from Glendale in the Isle of Skye. Although he was from Glasgow, he was known amongst the Islay folk as the Sgitheanach [the Skyeman]. He worked at sea originally, and worked on many boats coming into Islay, including MV Lochiel, which infamously sank in West Loch Tarbert in 1960.

He met his wife, who worked in an Islay bakery, while working on these ships. Donald and his wife were major players in the establishment of Gaelic-medium education on the island, working with a lady from Inverness and Comunn na Gàidhlig in creating the very first Gaelic playgroup in Islay, long before the establishment of pre-5 nurseries in schools. They were Gaelic playleaders, and the group was a great success.

He thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the Mòd, and supported many young people who had poems or songs to learn for both local Mòds and the National Mòd.