The 7th baronet was notable among Macdonald chiefs in refusing to join the 1745 Jacobite rising. His voiced his reasoning to Macdonald of Clanranald, stating the uprising was inopportune, with the chance of any success remote. A and A Macdonald noted that he would have also been grateful to the reigning House of Hanover, for the restoration of the clan's estates, which had been forfeited in the last rebellion.
The 7th baronet, a prominent member of the Macdonald clan, declined to join the Jacobite uprising of 1745. He explained his decision to Clanranald, arguing that it was an unwise and improbable undertaking.  He also expressed gratitude for the Hanoverian House's restoration of their estates, which had been seized during the previous rebellion.