Formerly Gaelic MS.LXVI.

The following description of the manuscript, from Ingliston MS. A.iv.24, was written in 1811 by John Smith, son of the Reverend Dr John Smith of Campeltown. “The MS. Gaelic Dictionary was first compiled by Sir James Foulis of Colinton, chiefly from Lhuyd, O’Brien and Beigley’s Dictionaries, and other sources. At his death he left it to my uncle Dr Donald Smith, who in the course of his travels through a great part of Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland, added a number of scarce and local words to the collection, giving authorities from books or MSS. for many Obsolete words and phrases — adding very often the corresponding words in Welsh or other dialects of the Celtic when similar in sound and signification &c. &c. After it came into my father’s possession he made a number of additions to it, chiefly from my uncle’s MSS”.

The manuscript was sent to the Highland Society of Scotland by the widow of John Smith, Senior, in 1810 (Ingliston MS. A.i.9 g) and was subsequently purchased by the Society.

Between 1813 and 1828 it was used by various compilers of the Society’s Dictionary, namely Dr John MacLeod, Ewen MacLachlan, the Reverend Alexander Irvine and the Reverend Mackintosh MacKay. (Ingliston MSS. A.iv.10-13, A.iv.22). MacLeod and MacLachlan added further notes.

The manuscript was deposited in the Advocates Library in 1850.