[2] Macdonald was born at Langash in the parish of North Uist in 1825.
With MacFarlane, he founded the first presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland in August of that year.
After worshipping in the open air a new church was opened in 1895[4] for the newly formed Shieldaig congregation of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland and a new manse completed in 1897.
MacDonald and MacFarlane saw the body they founded together grow substantially.
His preaching was highly valued and sometimes compared to that of the Rev Archibald Cook of Daviot, Highland Inverness-shire.