Chamberlain of the MacDonald lands on the Trotternish peninsula, and a British officer during the American Revolution. Son of Alexander MacDonald of Kingsburgh and Florence MacDonald. Married (ca. 1750) to Flora MacDonald with whom he had several children.
Allan and Flora lived on their farm at Flodigarry until the death of Allan's father in 1772, when they moved to Kingsburgh.
In 1774, the family emigrated to America, making their home at Cheek’s Creek in what is now Montgomery County, North Carolina. During the American Revolution, Allan was given the rank of Captain in the 85th Royal Highland Emigrant Regiment. However, he was taken prisoner at Moore's Creek, being released 18 months later as part of a prisoner exchange. After his he became Captain in the 84th Regiment of Foot based in Nova Scotia. He made his way back to Scotland in 1784, trailing his wife and other family members who had returned in 1779.
Boswell and Dr Johnson arrived at MacDonald's house at Kingsburgh on Skye in the late afternoon or evening of September 12, 1773, accompanied by Dr Murdoch Macleod of nearby Eyre and Donald Macqueen among others. The pair was received "most courteously" by Kingsburgh (as he was known), whom Boswell described as "quite the figure of a gallant Highlander[,] with jet-black hair tied behind and with screwed ringlets on each side, and was a large stately man, with a steady sensible countenance." They supped together and Boswell was "in a cordial humour, and promoting a cheerful glass. The punch was superexcellent, and we drank three bowls of it."
Boswell further wrote how his "heart was sore to recollect that Kingsburgh had fallen sorely back in his affairs, was under a load of debt, and intended to go to America", which they did a few months after Boswell and Johnson's visit there. "However," Boswell continued, "nothing but what was good was present, and I pleaded myself in thinking that so fine a fellow would be well everywhere."
On the next day, Kingsburgh took Boswell and Johnson on his boat to somewhere near Greshornish further west on Skye on the way to Dunvegan Castle, thus saving them for, in Boswell's words, "eight miles of bad riding."