A volume of poetry mostly of Iain Mac Dhùghaill (John MacDougall), 1821-1890, Ardgour. The poet, known as 'am bàrd ruadh', worked as a teacher but also spent time working as a policeman in Glasgow.

Maclean's 'Typographia Scoto-Gadelica', pages 207-210, records several publications by Macdougall between 1857 and 1870 and mentions MacDougall's intention to publish further volumes of poetry. The songs contained in this manuscript appear to be unpublished. The volume was probably intended to be a printer's copy and includes a full caption title, contents list, scribal page numbering and a running title ("Orain Gha'elach") on every page. The pages are ruled in pencil.

42 pages. Contains 24 occasional songs, including satire, praise, elegy and new-year songs. Tunes are usually indicated by preceding the refrain by the phrase "air fonn". Two of the songs are stated to be the compositions of two Appin poets, Dùghall Mac a Chòmbaich (Dugald Colquhoun, Port Appin), pp. 37-38, and Dòmhnall Brocair (Donald MacColl, badger-hunter or fox-hunter in Glen Creran, ca. 1793-1886), pp. 38-39. Both men are recorded as tradition bearers by the folklorist Alexander Carmichael, who also reported on Dùghall Mac a' Chòmbaich in a letter, 1861, to John Francis Campbell of Islay (cf. J. F. Campbell's 'Popular Tales of the West Highlands', vol. 4, pp. 213-214.)

The paper of the volume is dated 1837, which, considering the poet's birth in 1821, is not likely to be the date of writing. The reference to Inversanda as his home nevertheless suggests an early date in his career. He is recorded as a teacher in Inversanda in the Census of 1841, but seems to have been in Glasgow by the mid-1850s, when he composed his first published poem.

The contents are:

Caption title and contents list. Page 1.

"Oran do thighearna Lunga air dha dol a shealgach do Mhorthir. Air fonn Failt as furan ort fheannag". Begins 'Gur h-ann feasgar diciadoin / A fhuair mi 'n sgiala bha ait leam'. 8 stanzas of 8 lines. Pages 2-4.

"Oran eile don aon cheudna, air fonn 'So deoch slainte Ghaidheil ghasda, / Ghabh an taiseag thair a chuan [...]''. Begins: 'Fhir bhon d'fhuair mi m breachdan àluinn, / A chuir mi gu daicheil suas'. 9 stanzas of 4 lines plus refrain of 4 lines. Pages 4-6.

"Turus a bhaird a dhol a dhiarruidh nam brochdairean, air fonn 'Thug mi 'n oidhche n' raoir san airidh [...]'". Begins Moch sa mhaduinn nuair a ghluais mi, / 'S coisridh bhinn a leinn nan cuairt domh'. 15 stanzs of 4 lines plus refrain of 4 lines. Pages 6-9.

"Oran an t-siunnaich, air fonn 'Nuair chaidh mi 'm fhuar bheinn, / Gun d' fhuair mi ànradh [...]'". Begins 'Am beinnsa bhric far an drinn sibh codhail, / 'S air misneachd daonann gum faighte spòrs air'. 10 stanzas of 4 lines wih a refrain of 4 lines, written as 5. Pages 9-10.

"Oran an Fheocallain, air fonn 'Ho ro ho dail o ho dail o ho ro hì / ... / le ha mhòr nach coma leinn cogadh no sìth'". 7 stanzas of 4 lines, with a refrain of 4 lines. Pages 11-12.

"Oran eile do dh'fheocallan, air fonn 'S duilich leam an call a dheirich, / Mharbh am feocallan an sreud oirnn [...]'". Begins 'An coileach bàn bu bhoidhche cirean, / Thug an nurse a stronan 't sithein'. 7 stanzas of 4 lines, with a refrain of 3 lines. Pages 12-13.

"Oran air clachair, air fonn, Ho ao tha mi air mo mhealladh, ciod e sta dhomh bhi ga ghearan [...]". Begins: 'Gur e n clachair rinn an aimlisg, / Thug e nainm a chulaidh eanraich'. 9 stanzas of 4 lines, with a refrain of 3 lines. Pages 13-14.

"Oran do ribhinn àridh, air fonn, Mo chaileag mhìn donn mheallshuileach [...]". Begins 'Gur mise tha gu brònach mim stori ud a chualas'. 8 stanzas of 2 long lines, with a refrain of 4 lines. Page 15.

"Oran eile do ribhinn àraidh, air fonn 'Si mo ghaolsa ghruagach chuinir, / Uasal loinneil foinnimh aluinn". begins: 'Latha dhomhsa ann am Port Uilleam, / Ri 'n can cuid liubh am bruchchàri[?]'. 8 stanzas of 4 lines with a refrain of 4 lines. Pages 16-17.

"Turas a bhaird a fagail a dhuthcha, air fonn Gur muladach trom cianail mi, chan ioghnadh sin, tha riasan air [...]". Begins: 'A fagail Ionarsannda, n' tus a gheamhraidh, / Gum bu chianail mi'. 13 stanzas of 4 lines with a refrain of 4 lines (written as 3). Pages 17-19.

"Oran bail an deigh coluinn, air fonn Ho falill of chailin, Urabh o na horo ghelaigh, Ho failill o chailin." Begins 'Tharladh dhomh bhi n' comunn cairdeil, / Oidhche bhail an deigh na caluinn'. 10 stanzas of 2 lines with a refrain of 3 lines. Pages 20-21.

"Oran Bail Cheann Lochmòrthir, Air fonn, Ho rinn o na horo n' aile leibh, / Huill o an horon n' aill leibh". Begins ''S ann an la bha 'n còmhlan èibhinn, / Nuair a chruinnich iad ri cheile'. 15 stanzas of 4 lines, with a refrain of 4 lines. Pages 21-23.

"Am bard a fagail Mhorthir, air fonn Gur a mis tha fuidh phramh dheth, / Bhon a thainig mi Mhorthir". Begins: 'Ann sa mhaduinn nuair dhuisginn, / San driuch air bhàn neonain'. 11 stanzas of 8 lines with a refrain of 8 lines. Pages 24-27.

"Oran do Dhomhnull Fhinisgaig, air fonn Ho rinn o gur mòr mo shòlas, / A bhi m bliadhna fagail Mhorthir [...]". Written below the refrain: "Tune. Horinn o gur mi tha tùrsach". Begins: ''S mithich dhomh teannadh ri oran, / Mar chuimhneachan grinn air Domhnull'. 15 stanzas of 4 lines, with a refrain of 4 lines. Pages 27-30.

"Oran do bhanais àraidh, air fonn So so illean si bhanais i, / So so ithibh as òlaibh [...]". Begins: 'Nuair chaidh sibh a phòsadh, / Bu coinneil an còmhlan'. Pages 30-31.

"Port do bhainnsean a rinneadh am Morthir, air fonn 'S mise tha gu h-uallach gun ghruaim gun smalan [...]". Begins: ''Sann than sgeula thùrsach air feadh an fhearainn, / H'uile fear a pùsadh aig am bi leanann'. 16 stanzas of 4 lines with a refrain of 4 lines. Pages 32-34.

"Port Eoghain ruaidh Chreag-guanach air fonn, Mislisle. [Crossed out: "Niel Gow".] Eoghan ruadh an duine tapi, s maith a dhìreas tu na stacan [...]". Begins: 'Tha sgial ur air tighin don bhaile, ga aithris an trathsa, / Briogais Eoghain air a srachdadh s'nach dean Anna càradh'. 6 stanzas of 4 lines with a refrain of 2 lines. Pages 34-35.

"Port Eoghain bhain a ghearradh, air fonn, Niel Gow." Begins: 'Bu ghrinn leam air an urlar thu sa chruit chiuil an ordugh, / Chan fhacas na thug bar ort nuar thairneadh tu'n ceum spòrsail.' 7 stanzas of 2 lines, with a refrain of 2 lines: 'Eoghan bàn nan Gearraidhnean Eoghan bàn an gille grinn / An t'oigeir siobhalt ceanaltra san leannan a bhaig Flòri.' Pages 35-36.

"Oran do dh'Alasdair Mac Neachduinn, Air fonn Seinn urabhinn o ho, / Chall èile ho ro ho, / Ura ri hoirinn o ho, / Eile o ho ro hì." Begins: 'Fhir a thoisich ri m' aoireadh, bha thu dàna gun aobhar'. 8 stanzas of 2 lines (or 4 short lines written as 2), with a refrain of 4 short lines. Pages 36-37.

"Marbhrann do Chaiptin Rob Chilmalien, le Dughall Mac a Chòmbaich." Begins: 'Gur i naidheachd mo dhunach gu h'ullamh a fhuair mi, / An nall thair an linngidh le litir duinuasail.' 13 stanzas of 4 lines. Pages 37-38.

"Oran do Chaiptin Dughall Mac Lachainn Arihuolain le Domhnull Brochdair, air fonn O s' fhada s' ro fhada s' cian s' gur fhada mar tha, / O s' fhada s' ro fhada s' cian s'gur fhada tha mi m thamh [..]". Begins: 'Gur a mise thair mo leireadh dh'fhalbh mo speurai s'mor chruas'. 9 stanzas of 4 lines with a refrain of 4 lines. Pages 38-39.

"Duan Dhomhnuill Fhinisgaig". Begins: 'Nuair a dh'fhalbh sinn oidhche choinnle rinn sinn Strailich feadh a bhaile / Chuala gach aon bh' ann san aite nuair thainig le stairn a challuinn.' 4 stanzas of 4 lines with a refrain of 4 lines. Page 40.

"Duan Mhic a Phearsain Lochtreig." Begins: 'Gu ma fad thu air an làraich Alasdair bhàin Mhic a Phearsainm / Far an robh 'n t'athair on d' thainig 's than[?] an d'àraidheadh thu 'd leanabh'. 7 stanzas of 4 or 8 lines; possibly incomplete. Pages 40-41.

"Duan Eoghain ruaidh Chreag-ghuanach". Begins: 'Eoghain ruaidh bho bhun Chreag-ghuanach on as duine suairce còir thu / Thainig sinn dh'iunnsaidh do thighe oidhche challuin mar bu choir dhuinn'. 6 stanzas of mostly 4 lines; the 2nd stanza has 5 lines, and the last one 6. Page 42.