A MUSICAL centred on the life of a woman who helped hide a key figure of the Jacobite rising is set to hit Scottish stages early next year.
Flora, written by Belle Jones, explores the life of Flora MacDonald, a young woman from Uist who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie sail to the Isle of Skye after the uprising was quashed by British forces in 1746.
MacDonald’s life was largely whittled down to her involvement with aiding Charlie’s escape in her twenties, which prompted Jones to write the musical.
“Growing up in the Highlands, I was always sort of aware of Flora MacDonald’s name, especially as there’s a prominent statue of her outside the castle in Inverness, but it was only when I looked into her life story that I realised how much more there was to her life after helping Bonnie Prince Charlie escape”, Jones said.
“Her brief encounter with the Young Pretender happened in her early 20s, but she lived until she was 68, surviving imprisonment, famine, emigration, and war.
“With such a rich backdrop to her story, and with every autobiographical account she gave filtered through the men who wrote it down, I thought it would be interesting to explore how she might tell her epic life story in her own words.”
MacDonald was imprisoned in the Tower of London for a few years before moving to the United States, where her husband and sons fought in the Revolutionary War.
Her husband was captured and later freed in a prisoner exchange and posted in Nova Scotia, Canada. MacDonald joined him there before eventually returning to Skye, prior to her death in 1790.
Composed by AJ Robertson and John Kielty, the music of Flora is said to be heavily inspired by traditional Scottish songs with a “catchy, contemporary edge”.
Kielty composed the music for the Glasgow Girls documentary, whilst Robertson is known for his involvement with Celtic Connections and BBC Proms.
Robertson said: "It has been a really enjoyable experience to work with John to bring the story of Flora to life through Belle's lyrics.
“With John and I coming from different musical worlds, we have had fun fusing our styles to create something that feels rooted in tradition but with a contemporary edge."
Flora will have its first run in Eden Court, Inverness, on March 20 and 21, 2026, before heading to the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow from March 26 – 28.
Tickets for both runs are on sale now and can be purchased here and here.
