McNeill was educated Wimbledon, Surrey, England and at Trinity College Dublin.

Alexander and Hester immigrated to Canada and settled on a fram in Elderslie township, County of Bruce which had been his brother inlaws - John McNeill.

Alexander McNeill purchased 300 acres north of Wiarton and called it, The Corran (which means land running into the sea - named after his birthplace in Ireland).

In 1882 the extension of the rail service came to Wiarton and construction of the 17 room manor began.

Subsequently, Alexander contacted a friend in England, Alfred Lewis, and asked him to move to Canada to help him with the Corran.

People came from throughout Ontario, the rich, the politicians and gentry to spend a day amongst the roses and peonies with the music of violins filling the air.

In 1931, Alfred Lewis was killed in the first auto hit and run fatality on the Bruce Peninsula.

Today, the walls of the Corran are still standing high on the Niagara Escarpment looking down on Colpoy's Bay north of Wiarton and is known as McNeill Estate & Spirit Rock Conservation Area, owned by Grey Sauble Conservation.