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You talk of records being destroyed.
In many places, expecially in remote rural areas, record-keeping was patchy in any case, and may not have existed in the first place. What records there were have often not survived.
".Old Parochial Records
The only surviving public registers of genealogical events in North Uist prior to 1855 are the parish registers of the Church of Scotland (known as “the Old ParochialRegisters” or “OPRs”). These however record only births and marriages and not deaths.The oldest surviving “OPRs” for North Uist date only from 1821.
For a variety of reasons,including the “Disruptions” (which resulted in most of the inhabitants of North Uist leaving the Church of Scotland for the Free Church in the 1840s), the extant OPRs for North Uist show no more than perhaps 5% of the births and marriages that actually took place in North Uist between 1821 and 1855. Thus in the case of North Uist the OPRs are of only very limited assistance and with few exceptions only cover Kilmuir Parish (the Paiblesgarry area) on the west coast of North Uist. These OPRs are also available and can be searched (for a fee) at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk.There are many stories that the OPRs for North Uist were “lost” when, following the commencement of statutory registration in 1855, all such local records in Scotlandwere required to be delivered to New Register House in Edinburgh. However, at page169 of the Statistical Account of Scotland, 1841, the then parish minister of North Uist states:“Parochial Registers. No parochial registers were kept till lately in this parish; and even now, the entries from more remote districts of it are irregular.”
https://tinyurl.com/y4ufusnm
Some North Uist records pre 1824 (since that's the date you mention) do exist.
However, even where records exist, it's very difficult to trace familiies in North Uist and other Scottish islands, as I know from trying to trace my late husband's family tree.
There were a limited number of surnames, McDonald/Macdonald being one of the most common, and also a limited number of forenames, so it's very hard to to distinguish one family from another, as the members of several families in one village can all have the same names.
Using the details you have given, there is no record of his birth, nor of his parents' marriage, on Scotlands People, which is the main site you should use for Scottish records, along with FamilySearch.
www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
ADDED:
Just for interest,
the earliest North Uist baptism on Scotlands People was in 1801 (but then no more baptsm records until 1821) ; the earliest marriage record is 1821, and the earliest death 1855 (ie - no OPRs of deaths).
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????
MCDONALD
ANGUS
ALLAN MCDONALD/RACHEL MCINNIS
M
15/03/1833
113/
10 37
North Uist
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MACDONALD
ALLAN
RACHEL MCINNIS/
01/03/1831
113/
10 96
North Uist
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Census Year County Census District Civil Parish Piece Enumeration District Page House Number House or Street Name
1841 Inverness-shire (INV) North Uist North Uist 113 12 3 Scolpeg
Surname Forenames Sex Age Occupation Birth County Notes
MCDONALD Allan M 35 Ag Lab UNK
MCDONALD Rachel F 35 INV
MCDONALD James M 12 INV
MCDONALD Jane F 10 INV
MCDONALD Angus M 7 INV
MCDONALD Alexr M 3 INV
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I was told by another researcher that all the records from N. Uist pre 1824 (and perhaps later) had been destroyed. so how does one research under those circumstances. I know we use secondary and terciary in place of primary records, but I have no idea if any records of any sort exist for N. Uist. I have also been told that there is a researcher of the isles, but I checked out his site and found I could not afford him. where to go from here?
I am looking for Allan McDonald, b. abt 1812 of N. Uist, son of Archibald McDonald and Margaret suggested to be a Stewart. no proof was presented though. I do not know Allan's sibling's names or much at all about him or his parents. he eludes census takers, and most record keepers but I had someone find his tombstone for me in Black Brook, Nova Scotia, and I found his death record in Cow Bay/Port Morein, Nova Scotia. that is all I find for him.
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