Scope and Contents Notebook with marbled boards of cardboard, the spine strengthened by a strip of brown leather. Paginated [1]-137 by the scribe. In the hand of Rev. Dr Alexander Irvine. Contains mostly poetry of Rob Donn Mackay. A note on the inside back cover, paginated 137, says: "These poems were taken from Janet McKay dr to Rob Mc Kay before Duncan McIntyre poet this 22 of Decr 1800 at no. 17 Thistle Street Edin[burgh].Contains biographical notes on Rob Donn, followed by a collection of his...

Scope and Contents A volume of songs of Rob Donn Mackay (1714-1778); according to a note at the front, of unknown authorship (folio i), it was taken down from the recitation of the poet, who could not write, ‘by a daughter of the parish Minister, John Thomson, 1763-1809’, (i.e., presumably the Minister of Durness, 1764-1811), possibly Janet (1766-1785). However, the paper of the volume is dated 1813-1815, and this, together with the presence of a lament for Rob Donn in it, suggests that it is a later copy of...