The text is written from what was originally the back of the volume. ‘Archd. Fletcher / Greenock / December 31st 1795’ is inscribed on the original inside front cover; this is followed by the stubs of 15 excised leaves bearing traces of writing similarly upside-down in relation to present text. There are 5 leaves excised from original end of volume, with no evidence of textual loss. In the Highland Society of Scotland inventory the manuscript is described as a ‘M.S. Gaelic Dictionary, or Vocables Gaelic and English collected by Mr. Fletcher Schoolmaster in one Volume folio - Brown boards - and several parcels on papers apart therewith put up’. Some versos headed “Tional Mhic Léisteir”. Many slips pasted in with additional material in scribe’s hand. The manuscript contains Gaelic-English dictionary A-D.