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Story about Alasdair Mac Colla, October 1870

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW116/130

Scope and Contents

Story about Alasdair Mac Colla probably collected in Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist telling how he was staying in a Campbell lodging one night although his landlord did not know who he was. A young Campbell reluctantly sits with MacColla and on finding out that MacColla is a MacDonald states that the Campbells are in debt to the MacDonalds. On asking why, Campbell states that they owe the MacDonalds the canvas they used to hang them with. MacDonald’s response is that the debt has already been paid with swords at Inverlochy and grabs hold of the young Campbell and roughs him up. The landlord rushes in to intervene and on asking MacDonald who he is gets a cryptic response that he is from a great clan but an unlucky clan and from this it is assumed that the MacDonald in question is Alasdair MacColla.

Dates

  • Creation: October 1870

Language of Materials

Gaelic English

Conditions Governing Access

This material is unrestricted.

Extent

From the Series: 64 folios ; 19.5 x 23 cm

Physical Location

5.07

Physical Location

folio 49v, line 20 to folio 50v, line 4

Bibliography

Matheson, Angus,'Traditions of Alasdair MacColla', Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Glasgow, Vol V (1958), pp. 9-93.

Repository Details

Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository

Contact:
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