Alexander MacDonald, better known as Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, belonged to the Clanranald heartland of Moidart. A character larger than life, he was a heroic figure, inspirational and visionary, his heartbeat in tune with the events of his time.

Hailed as the most original and innovative poet of the 18th century, Alasdair successfully integrated ancient bardic tradition, classical themes and Scots literature. His verve, acute powers of observation and wealth of vocabulary brought new life and vitality to Gaelic poetry. Alasdair was born around 1698 in Dalilea on the shore of Loch S hiel.

His parents were from and , and he had ancestra l links with the Clanranalds and MacDonalds . Flora MacDonald was his first cousin. The Mavis of Clanranald of Mavis The Tr Ronald Black Black Ronald Tr

Moch is feasgar togar m’iolach togar feasgar Moch is Seinn gu bileach, milis, mealach mealach milis, bileach, gu Seinn ‘S bho Eilean Fhìonnain nan gallan nan Fhìonnain Eilean bho ‘S Singing billed, sweet and honeylike. and sweet billed, Singing Offspring of the birds of Castle Tirrim Castle of birds the of Offspring Morning and evening my cry is raised raised cry is my evening and Morning

And from Islandfinnan of the saplings, the of Islandfinnan from And - Clanraghnaill, Smeòrach

Sliochd nan eun bho ‘n Chaisteal Thioram Chaisteal ‘n bho eun nan Sliochd Alasdair’s father, Maighstir Alasdair, was the Episcopalian min ister of Islandfinnan, a huge parish which extended from to . University educated, he was famed for his strength of character as well as his physical strength - he would walk the 50 miles round from Dalilea to Kilchoan every Sunday.

Loch Shiel from Island Finnan RefusingRefusing toto convertconvert toto Presbyterianism,Presbyterianism, MaighstirMaighstir AAlasdairlasdair lostlost hishis stipend,stipend, butbut keptkept hishis parishionersparishioners whowho wouwouldld notnot entertainentertain thethe thoughtthought ofof anotheranother minister.minister. HeHe isis buburiedried onon IslandIsland Finnan,Finnan, “the“the GreenGreen IsleIsle”,”, onon LochLoch Shiel.Shiel.

Maighstir Alasdair’s tombstone AlasdairAlasdair learnedlearned thethe classicsclassics asas wellwell asas thethe ancienancientt GaelicGaelic scriptscript fromfrom hishis father.father. HeHe waswas alsoalso taughttaught thethe artart ofof bardicbardic compositioncomposition byby thethe MacMac MhuirichMhuirich poetspoets inin SouthSouth Uist.Uist.

“He is a very smart, acute man, remarkably well- skilled in Erse, for he can both read and write the Irish language in its original character - a piece of knowledge almost quite lost in the Highlands, there being exceedingly few that have any at all that way”.

Bishop Robert Forbes, The Lyon in Mourning One of Alasdair’s poems written in the Hiberno-saxon script Alasdair’sAlasdair’s abilitiesabilities fittedfitted himhim forfor anyany calling:calling: hihiss fatherfather favoredfavored thethe ChurchChurch whilstwhilst hishis chiefchief wantedwanted himhim toto sstudytudy LawLaw andand becomebecome hishis notary.notary.

AfterAfter studyingstudying thethe ClassicsClassics inin Glasgow,Glasgow, AlasdairAlasdair wawass thenthen apprenticedapprenticed toto aa lawyer’slawyer’s chamberchamber inin EdinburghEdinburgh underunder thethe patronagepatronage ofof LadyLady Clanranald.Clanranald.

A reference to Alasdair’s brandy account in Lady Penelope’s papers… InIn Edinburgh,Edinburgh, AlasdairAlasdair discovereddiscovered taverntavern culture,culture,

withwith itsits emphasisemphasis onon wit,wit, drinkingdrinking andand musicmusic --makingmaking .. There,There, amongstamongst thethe literatiliterati ofof thethe buddingbudding ScottishScottish Enlightenment,Enlightenment, AlasdairAlasdair metmet AllanAllan Ramsay,Ramsay, authorauthor ofof aa veryvery successfulsuccessful vernacularvernacular poetrypoetry anthology,anthology, thethe TeaTea--tabletable Miscellany.Miscellany.

Allan Ramsay —Ailean Bàrd— was a wigmaker turned playwright, bookseller, editor and founder member of the Jacobite and Nationalist “Easy Club” , “where men of pairts recited their own verses, sang jovially and drank copiously.” AlasdairAlasdair waswas alsoalso influencedinfluenced byby Ramsay’sRamsay’s pastoralpastoral play,play, “The“The GentleGentle ShepherdShepherd”,”, whichwhich transposedtransposed fashionablefashionable ItalianItalian pastoralpastoral characterscharacters fromfrom UmbriaUmbria toto thethe ScottishScottish countryside.countryside.

Another major influence was Thomson’s “Seasons” poems in the classical style, which were published in London and imported to Edinburgh by Ramsay.

Alasdair decided to follow the muses in his turn and to compose songs in Gaelic that would rival Thomson’s and Ramsay’s collections. In one of his first poems, Alasdair asks the nine muses to “make his mind pliable like a withy, and spells out his ambition to write poetry that would not be empty of meaning, “ like nuts without kernels”.

My vigour and range are small enough, Though ambition’s great to build a wall on so large a base Lacking chiseled stone I have no polished words, Though I tear my will I am empty of skill A thing of no substance is art that’s unschooled, Though the subject were sweet.

Guidhe no Urnaigh an Ughdair don Cheòlraigh, “Address to the Muses,” tr. Derick Thomson AlasdairAlasdair soonsoon startedstarted toto workwork Song of Summer onon hishis ownown ”S”S eaea s s o o n n”” poems,poems, usingusing bardicbardic alliterationalliteration May, with soft showers and techniquestechniques toto makemake wordswords lielie sunshine, neatlyneatly likelike tilestiles overlappingoverlapping Meadows, grass-fields I love, eacheach other.other. Milky, whey-white and creamy, Frothing, whisked up in pails Time for crowdie and milk-curds, Time for firkins and kits, Lambs, goatkids and roe-deer. Bucks — a rich time for flocks.

Oran an -t- Samhraidh, tr. Derick Thomson MeanwhileMeanwhile hehe actedacted asas Clanranald’sClanranald’s notarynotary onon aa numbernumber ofof documents.documents. InIn 1727,1727, hehe hadhad aa spellspell asas groundground officerofficer onon thethe isleisle ofof CannaCanna ..

LaterLater onon thatthat year,year, hehe marriedmarried JaneJane MacDonaldMacDonald ofof DalnessDalness inin Glencoe,Glencoe, andand tooktook herher homehome toto DalileaDalilea wherewhere theirtheir sonson RanaldRanald waswas bornborn inin 1728.1728. TeachingTeaching nownow seemedseemed thethe bestbest wayway forfor AlasdairAlasdair toto supportsupport hishis youngyoung family,family, andand inin 1730,1730, hehe enrolledenrolled asas catechistcatechist forfor thethe ArdnamuchanArdnamuchan ParishParish withwith thethe SocieSocietyty forfor thethe PropagationPropagation ofof ChristianChristian KnowledgeKnowledge (SPCK).(SPCK). AtAt thatthat time,time, thethe hugehuge parishparish ofof ArdnamuchanArdnamuchan waswas experiencingexperiencing anan unprecedentedunprecedented populationpopulation boomboom withwith thethe openingopening ofof leadlead minesmines atat .Strontian.

The people there were “ exceeding poor, but very much inclined to have their Children taught English because of the English & low Country Scotch which are daily coming among them, ” reported the SPCK, a Presbyterian organisation which promoted an English medium education as the best way to “root out” Catholicism and Gaelic superstitious beliefs.

DespiteDespite hishis EpiscopalianEpiscopalian upbringing,upbringing, AlasdairAlasdair waswas sseeneen asas aa choicechoice recruitrecruit becausebecause ofof hishis educationeducation andand hishis ClanranaldClanranald connections.connections. AlasdairAlasdair tooktook hishis teachingteaching workwork seriously,seriously, successfsuccessfullyully establishingestablishing aa schoolschool atat Kilmory,Kilmory, wherewhere hehe taughttaught ““SeventeenSeventeen BoyesBoyes && OneOne Girle,Girle, OneOne LearningLearning thethe BibleBible,, ThreeThree thethe NewNew Testament,Testament, TheThe restrest thethe ProverbsProverbs && Catechism.”Catechism.”

He also compiled a very comprehensive Gaelic/English vocabulary for the SPCK, which was published in 1741. Allt an an Allt an Allt

laidh Morag laidh Morag laidh ò ò tr. Derick Thomson Derick tr. Just as though we were were we though as Just and doe in pair, Buck Eagerly in chase weak, we’re till Laughing strength Losing all our that’s joy With youth’s and vehement. Urgent In praise In of Morag, Thomson Derick tr. Among saplings; Among M M

, date from that period. that from date , , date from that period. that from date , composed in imitation of a a of imitation in composed composed in imitation of a a of imitation in composed Corrivulinn Corrivulinn

laidh Morag laidh Morag laidh ò ò

M M allowed Alasdair enough time to write poetry: poetry: write to time enough Alasdair allowed allowed Alasdair enough time to write poetry: poetry: write to time enough Alasdair allowed pipe tune, and his praise of nature in in nature of praise his and tune, pipe pipe tune, and his praise of nature in in nature of praise his and tune, pipe a burn in in a burn a burn in in a burn

mòr mòr - - cair, cair, cair,

ù ù laidh Morag laidh Morag hue orange to an ò ò his famous famous his his famous famous his Teaching Teaching ceòl ceòl Si Si We’d strike up our tune tune our up strike We’d morning, In bright waves the dyes Phoebus While M M sense prudent by confined Not and knoll, shade grove of In entwined Heavily dizziness our In With rowan berries there there berries With rowan heads your over Bursting and rapsberries Blackcurrants branches down: their bend and fragrant, sweet ripe, Smooth, dried sun. off the Moisture by Trees with their tops like scarlet scarlet tops like their with Trees clusters in nuts golden And The Sugar Brook Brook Sugar The

Allt an Siùcair - Siùcair an Allt Thomson Derick tr. Nature’s work of graving of graving work Nature’s Is neatly done on your banks banks your done on neatly Is freely growing garlic Wild gall above, up nut Fair floor meadow’s your Freckling twinkling frost, the through stars Like flowers. fresh and lovely the Of Shamrock, daisy, red berry Shamrock, AlasdairAlasdair soonsoon foundfound outout aa catechist’scatechist’s lifelife waswas notnot anan easyeasy living:living: hishis salarysalary waswas smallsmall -- £18£18 aa yearyear -- paidpaid inin twotwo instalments,instalments, alwaysalways late.late. HeHe lackedlacked paper,paper, inkink andand books,books, andand waswas movedmoved toto aa differentdifferent locationlocation everyevery 22 oror 33 years.years. WithWith onlyonly 22 pennylandpennyland ofof groundground toto grazegraze animalsanimals anandd grow,grow, hehe waswas oftenoften absentabsent fromfrom school,school, “to“to looklook forfor mealmeal forfor hishis weakweak family”,family”, leavingleaving hishis sonson RanaldRanald inin chachargerge ofof teachingteaching hishis pupils.pupils.

Extract of minutes of the Mull presbytery, 1744

y y the the the the in France. in in France. in , as Alasdair sent his poems to the the to poems his sent Alasdair , as , as Alasdair sent his poems to the the to poems his sent Alasdair , as Germain Germain afield afield New Song Song New tr. Derick Thomson Thomson tr.Derick Eager preparation of arms for battle battle for of arms preparation Eager target making rattling Hammers whorls. ball-round beautiful With Tha deagh shoisgeul feadh nan Garbh Chrioch, Chrioch, Garbh nan feadh shoisgeul deagh Tha còmhraig, armaibh air Sùrd thargaid deanamh dairich ri Ùird bòidheach ball-chruinn dual Nan Highlands the throughout gospel good a is There - Nuagh Oran ground for a Jacobite rising, composing inflammator composing rising, Jacobite a for ground Moidart, throughout spread which songs propagandist further even and St of court Jacobite The fact was that Alasdair was also busy preparing busy preparing was also Alasdair that was fact The ground for a Jacobite rising, composing inflammator composing rising, Jacobite a for ground Moidart, throughout spread which songs propagandist further even and St of court Jacobite The fact was that Alasdair was also busy preparing busy preparing was also Alasdair that was fact The ComplaintsComplaints fromfrom thethe MullMull PresbyteryPresbytery andand thethe SPCKSPCK mounted:mounted: Alasdair’sAlasdair’s reputationreputation asas aa JacobiteJacobite mademade hhimim increasinglyincreasingly suspect,suspect, andand theythey wantedwanted himhim out.out.

AtAt first,first, AlasdairAlasdair triedtried toto fightfight backback withwith irony:irony: ““ mymy IgnoranceIgnorance possestpossest meme ofof aa perswasion,perswasion, thatthat withoutwithout aa palpablepalpable misbehaviourmisbehaviour attestedattested toto youyou byby thethe presbipresbitrytry ofof mymy boundsbounds &c,&c, II mightmight allwayesallwayes bebe continuedcontinued inin mmyy formerformer station.”station.”

ThenThen havinghaving convertedconverted toto Catholicism,Catholicism, hehe finallyfinally leleftft hishis teachingteaching post,post, handinghanding itit overover toto hishis sonson Ranald,Ranald, aa fewfew weeksweeks beforebefore thethe Prince’sPrince’s landinglanding inin JulyJuly 1745.1745. AlasdairAlasdair waswas amongamong thethe firstfirst toto meetmeet thethe PrincePrince andand waswas mademade captaincaptain inin hishis army.army. HeHe alsoalso becamebecame thethe princeprince’s’s GaelicGaelic tutor.tutor.

Alasdair wrote his description of the campaign from the raising of the standard at to the final defeat at Culloden in his “Journall and Memoirs of P…C… Expedition into , 1745 -6, by a Officer in his Army”, a work that showed how confident a prose writer he also was. OnOn hishis returnreturn homehome fromfrom Culloden,Culloden, hishis homehome burntburnt downdown toto thethe ground,ground, hehe waswas atat firstfirst forcedforced toto hidehide inin thethe hillshills aroundaround ArisaigArisaig withwith hishis brotherbrother Donald,Donald, thenthen inin GlencoeGlencoe withwith hishis starvingstarving familyfamily untiluntil thethe ActAct ofof IndemnityIndemnity waswas passedpassed inin 1747.1747. TheThe followingfollowing year,year, AlasdairAlasdair wrotewrote hishis ownown vividvivid acaccountscounts ofof thethe postpost --CullodenCulloden repressionrepression onon EiggEigg andand CannaCanna andand ofof thethe Prince’sPrince’s escapeescape forfor RobertRobert Forbes’Forbes’ ““ LyonLyon inin MourningMourning”,”, drawingdrawing onon eyeeye -- witnesseswitnesses suchsuch asas FloraFlora MacDonaldMacDonald andand hishis brotherbrother aandnd nephewsnephews inin Uist.Uist. The manuscript included pieces of the boat that took the Prince from Skye to Benbecula . InIn 1749,1749, AlaisdairAlaisdair waswas appointedappointed BaillieBaillie ofof CannaCanna bbyy Clanranald,Clanranald, aa belatedbelated rewardreward forfor hishis servicesservices toto ththee Prince.Prince. AtAt firstfirst thethe poetrypoetry hehe composedcomposed whilstwhilst livingliving onon ththee islandisland stillstill expressedexpressed thethe bitternessbitterness feltfelt afterafter CullodenCulloden againstagainst thethe HanoveriansHanoverians andand theirtheir landland --grabbinggrabbing CampbellCampbell helpers.helpers.

When you get your charters To your beds that are narrow, Your wills in order, And your carcases to beetles, You will see sums of silver are exceedingly vain. The world altogether and the wealth that is in it You must leave behind you Save for three planks around you.

Aoir do na Caimbeulaich - Satire of the Campbells, tr. Derick Thomson ButBut itit isis alsoalso onon CannaCanna thatthat AlasdairAlasdair startedstarted compocomposingsing hishis greatgreat epic,epic, “the“the birlinnbirlinn ofof Clanranald,”Clanranald,” perhapsperhaps ininspiredspired byby aa triptrip fromfrom SouthSouth UistUist toto IrelandIreland withwith hishis brotherbrother LaLachlan.chlan.

Sun bursting goldenly from its meshing; the sky became scorched and gloomy, awe-inspiring. The waves grew dark, thick, dun-bellied, angry and sallow the sky had every single hue you find in tartan….

The ocean then donned completely its black grey cloak , its rough, shaggy sable mantle of horrid surging.

Birlinn Chlanraghnaill, the Birlinn of Clanranald tr. Derick Thomson AlasdairAlasdair nownow putput hishis effortsefforts inin publishingpublishing hishis poetpoetry:ry: hishis collectioncollection ofof “New“New GaelicGaelic songs”songs” printedprinted inin 17511751 inin EdinburghEdinburgh waswas thethe firstfirst bookbook ofof GaelicGaelic versesverses everever published.published.

In the preface of “Ais- eiridh na Sean Chánoin Albannaich,” Alasdair states his intentions to rehabilitate the language and culture of the Gaels who had been “persecuted and intolerated” in “an age so happily distinguished from all the others for freedom of thought, love of knowledge and moderation.” On the strength of his publication, Alasdair had dreamt of a ret urn to the Edinburgh literary scene. He had been invited as tutor for a prominent Jacobite family in Edinburgh, but the repressive anti -jacobite laws made this impossible: when his poetry book, deemed to conta in seditious material, was confiscated and publicly burnt, it becam e a criminal offence to knowingly employ him.

Alasdair thus came back to Moidart, first in Eigneig where his efforts to rekindle the Jacobite flame gained him the enmity of the local priest and forced him out to in , before finally settling peacefully in Arisaig, where his son Ranald was innkeeper. AlasdairAlasdair alwaysalways intendedintended toto publishpublish aa secondsecond volumevolume ofof GaelicGaelic poetry,poetry, anan anthologyanthology ofof olderolder poets.poets.

ThisThis tasktask waswas entrustedentrusted toto hishis sonson Ranald,Ranald, nownow oneone ofof Clanranald’sClanranald’s tenanttenant farmersfarmers onon .Eigg.

Ranald was spurred in his task by the huge popularity of James MacPherson’s Fingalian tales, which sent the Scottish Enlightenment figures looking for a “Gaelic Homer” in their search for a truly Scottish literary identity. InIn hishis publication,publication, RanaldRanald alsoalso takestakes upup thethe causecause ofof thethe GaelicGaelic LanguageLanguage ““ onceonce thethe mothermother tonguetongue ofof thethe principalprincipal statesstates ofof EuropeEurope …… nownow strugglingstruggling forfor existenceexistence inin aa narrownarrow corner”.corner”.

In his defence of Gaelic, he brings up the King of Prussia, a known collector of Highland music and Jacobite supporter, Mac Pherson’s Fingalian tales and Lord Kaimes , a prominent Enlightenment figure.

Ranald sold a few copies of his anthology in Edinburgh, includin g one to James Boswell who showed great interest in Ranald’s original Gaelic manuscripts. But his relative lack of success discouraged him, so that the second vol ume he had planned was abandonned and his priceless manuscripts left to be dispersed and destroye d. Alasdair did not see his son’s work as he died in Arisaig in 177 0, six years before its publication. The story is that he died composin g verses, an end befitting the great poet he had been. He may have lived his last years in obscurity, but shortly befor e his death, John MacDonald of Ardnabie, his foster son, wrote him a m oving eulogy that placed him firmly at the top of the Gaelic poets’ pa ntheon.

If my thoughts could satisfy me And the nine muses equally agreed, I would gladly consent to be listening to you for ever; Since you set the standard for all authors We have no lowly bard, no official poet, And the base -note for musician’s strings, No vicar, no storyteller You have surpassed even Homer Who’d not want to be in your company Though he was in Greek a great musician. In order to listen to your weighty talk; In learning and in information, In high intellect you are effective — Òran do dh’Alastair mac Mhaighstir Alastair, You are the king of ballads and of songs, A Song to Alastair mac Mhaighstir Alastair I can boast that it is I who have proclaimed it. tr. Ronald Black NoNo oneone reallyreally knowsknows wherewhere AlasdairAlasdair isis buried...buried...

Kilmory Church, Arisaig

According to some, the parish priest had Alasdair buried across the threshold of the church as a punishment for the scurrilous nature of some of his verse. Others say that on the contrary, this place was chosen to honour him. ButBut atat DalileaDalilea onon lochloch Shiel,Shiel, thethe greatgreat oaksoaks plantedplanted byby AlasdairAlasdair areare stillstill there…there…