Eóghann Raghnaill Alasdair Aonghais Iain

Hugh Donald/Dan Rankin, often known as Hughie D., was born in Port Bàn, Inverness County, to Ronald A. "Raghnall Alasdair" Rankin and Katie Ann MacLellan of Broadcove Marsh. Born July 15, 1907, he was one of six children: John Archie, John Alec, Duncan Angus, Annie Bell, and Mary Catherine.

A descendant of John “the Immigrant” Rankin, Hughie’s roots trace back to Glencoe in the Lochaber region of Scotland.

As a young man, Hughie left home in search of work, finding employment in the gold mines of Quebec and Elmsdale, Nova Scotia. It was in Elmsdale that he met Annie Ellen Fisher of Upper Musquodoboit. The two were married in 1941 and raised a family of six children in Dartmouth.

Hughie trained as a pattern maker and carpenter, and worked for the Fairey Aviation Company, crafting wooden patterns used in the production of airplanes. Later in life, he passed on his skills by teaching woodworking to children at Tree Woodworking.

Though he built a life in Dartmouth, Hughie remained deeply connected to Port Bàn. He returned each year for hunting season and spent time visiting his siblings, Mary and Duncan, at the family home. A lover of tradition, he also took part in milling frolics in the Halifax area and was featured in a CBC television special in the 1960s that highlighted this Gaelic custom.

Hughie D. passed away in April 1985, and is laid to rest in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Lower Sackville.