A historian has called for TV presenter Timmy Mallett to apologise after he compared her “Betty Burke” Bonnie Prince Charlie costume recreation to a “Ku Klux Klan” (KKK) hood.
In a post to his 88,000 followers on Facebook, he presents a short video from Benbecula as he cycles the Hebridean Way from Barra to the Butt of Lewis.
However, during the edited video made at Nunton House, he says the outfit that Bonnie Prince Charlie wore to go undetected by government officials was similar to something worn by the KKK.
Highlands and Islands costume historian Joanne Watson has asked for a public apology after the 80s icon dismissed her work.
Timmy’s agent said that the entertainer was devastated to have caused any upset and that he would “never do anything to offend anyone”.
Joanne says researching and designing the Irish Mantle outfit that would have been worn by Prince Charles Edward Stuart took a year.
The story of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s escape to France after the rout at Culloden, dressed as Flora MacDonald’s Irish serving maid Betty Burke, has become the stuff of legend.
It’s also immortalised the memory of Flora MacDonald of South Uist, who risked her own life accompanying him on his desperate flight from Benbecula to Skye in an open boat on June 28, 1746.
She said: “Timmy was at Nunton House on Benbecula which is an incredibly important place.
“The video Timmy shared about his time there contained a great deal of historically inaccurate information about Prince Charles Edward Stuart’s time on Benbecula – he never visited Nunton House – and even more factual inaccuracies about Flora Macdonald’s visit there to make the Betty Burke costume that Prince Charles Edward Stuart wore to cross ‘over the sea to Skye’.
‘Flora Macdonald and Bonnie Prince Charlie would have been equally disgusted’
“Donald MacPhee, owner of Nunton House Hostel, proceeded to show Mr Mallet my recreation of the outfit – which I made after a year of research at Nunton House this past summer- saying I was a ‘dressmaker from Edinburgh’.
“I am not a dressmaker from Edinburgh; I am a dress historian of the Scottish Highlands and Islands who now lives two minutes away from Nunton House at the Muir of Aird.
“I find it sad that a story has been concocted around my work instead of being given the chance to tell the actual story.
“I remain shocked that the historically accurate Irish mantle I made was compared to a Ku Klux Klan outfit by Mr Mallett.”
She continued: “I am beyond astounded that a public figure with 88,000 followers on Facebook thinks that this is an acceptable comment to make and demonstrates a huge amount of ignorance of what the KKK stood for and what they did.
Calls for a public apology
“The video has quite clearly been edited, and yet he left his comments about the Ku Klux Klan in.”
“I am fairly certain both Flora Macdonald and Prince Charles Edward Stuart would have been as equally disgusted.”
She continued: “I would like to encourage Mr Mallett to ‘be curious’ about historical accuracy and to read Flora Fraser’s excellent biography of Flora Macdonald and to read the contemporary account of the Prince’s time in Scotland, Lyon in Mourning (freely available to all at archive.org), and to avoid making such revolting comments again.”
She added: “I want a public apology for dismissing my work and for making up Scottish history. ”
‘Timmy would never do anything to offend anyone’
Timmy Mallett’s management said they had spoken to him and that he was “devastated” by the claims.
A spokesman said: “Timmy doesn’t say ‘looking like she was in the Ku Klux Klan’ but he said it almost looks like a Ku Klux Klan hood.
“There is no way Timmy would have meant this in any way to offend.
“I have represented Timmy for over 40 years and I can assure you he would never do anything to offend anyone. He apologises for any upset he has inadvertently caused.
“Timmy has met so many wonderful people during his trip round the Western Isles and has had such a wonderful experience.”
