Lieutenant Donald Alistair Macrae was born at Lairg. He was the son of Rev. Donald Macrae, B.D. of Edderton. Donald was educated first at Tain Royal Academy followed by Aberdeen University where he studied Arts from 1907 to 1910 and he then went  Edinburgh University to study Medicine from 1910 to 1914.

While Donald was at Edinburgh he was a member of the O.T.C. and in 1914 joined the Scottish Horse as a Private.  From there he transferred, on receiving a commission, to the 5th (Caithness and Sutherland) Seaforth Highlanders. Donald went to France in 1915 where he served first with the Seaforths and then with Machine Gun Corps. 

Having survived the war, Donald was struck down with influenza and died at Tounei, Belgium on 16th November, 1918. He was 25 years old.