A Short History of Rodel Hotel

Provided by Bill Lawson at Sealham, Northton

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The year is 1781

The harbour at Rodel is ringing with the noise of building. A new house is being built above the harbour for Captain Alexander MacLeod of Berneray, who has just bought Harris from his cousin, Norman MacLeod of Dunvegan. The Captain’s first action has been to build himself a new house, as he means to live in Rodel himself, at the centre of his schemes to improve the estate and economy of Harris.

Captain Alexander was a son of Donald MacLeod, the “Old Trojan” of Berneray, who has had a colourful career as a supporter of Prince Charlie in the 1745 rebellion. The Old Trojan is buried in the family Caibeal  - private burial enclosure – on the hill behind the tower of St Clement’s church in Rodel, where a tablet to his memory was  erected by Captain Alexander. This recalls his father’s part in the Jacobite Rebellion – and also that he married for the third