Hardback book ‘Gaelic in Scotland 1698-1981: The Geographical History of a Language’ by Charles W. J. Withers, 1984. Foreword by Derick S. Thomson. Surprisingly little is known of the geographical history of Gaelic: where and when it was spoken in the past, and how and why the Gaelic-speaking area of Scotland has retreated and the language declined. This book answers four broad questions: what has been the geography of Gaelic in the past? How has that geography changed over time and space? What have been the patterns of language use within the Gaidhealtachd in the past? And what have been the processes of language change? Tiree mentioned pages 50, 68, 207, 221, 299, 311.
Book ‘Longships on the Sand – Scandinavian and medieval settlement on the island of Tiree: a place-name study’ by Dr John Holliday, Balephuil, 2016. Signed by the author: “To An Iodhlann, with best wishes to all who sail in her!”
Hardback book ‘Rob Roy’ by Sir Walter Scott, ca 1820. Presented to Balemartine School by James Coats in 1906. The name Donald Angus MacDonald, Mannal House, is written in pencil on the inside cover. James Coats of Paisley, donated hundreds of books to Tiree’s schools and to the Reading Room (now An Iodhlann). From a collection from Mannal House.
University assignment ‘The Isle of Tiree: One of a Kind’ written in 2013 by Leanne Piper, University of Guelph, Canada, who is descended from emmigrants John MacKinnon (1816-1896) and Grace Campbell (b.1811), Cornaigbeg. Includes information on geography, crofting history, geology, the kelp industry and architecture.
Letter from Charles MacLean, Edinburgh, to Duncan Gillespie, Gott, dated 2006, regarding enclosed texts and information about Charles’ 4x great grandfather Donald ‘The Pilot’ MacLean, Ruaig (born 1727), who piloted the French ship sent to rescue Bonnie Prince Charlie after the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
Two photocopies of a newspaper article ‘Some Historic MacLeans of Tiree – link with Prince Charlie’ from the Daily Express, 1930. The article begins with Malcolm MacLean of Hynish House and his cousin, Allan of Ruaig, whose ancestor was Donald ‘The Pilot’ MacLean of Ruaig (born 1727) who piloted the ship that rescued Bonnie Prince Charlie after Culloden in 1746.
Photocopy of a typed account of the Donald ‘The Pilot’ MacLean story published by his descendent (4x great grandson), Charles MacLean, Edinburgh, in the Clan MacLean magazine around 1986. The account is based on Charles’ great-great-grandfather’s hand-written account of the event written around 1900 (see 2016.6.1), and includes notes and analyses of the handwritten account.
