The manuscript was written by Niall MacMhuirich circa 1658 (folio 6 verso). A portion (National Museum of Scotland MCR, volume 39, pages 11-16) of Niall MacMhuirich’s Clanranald history, for which Adv.MS.72.1.50 is probably a source-book, was laid up with the manuscript until 1896, when it was gifted by the Advocates’ Library to Clanranald. A copy of the material, made by Donald MacPherson in 1874 (National Library of Scotland Acc.2543, folio 21), was added to the present manuscript as folios 27 recto-29 verso, the whole being mounted and bound together. ‘These leaves . . . were given over to the Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland for transmission to Clanranald, and a transcript of them by Professor MacKinnon is deposited in their place.’ (Advocates scroll catalogue, folio 53.)

The manuscript contains a ‘pot’ watermark.

The contents (text) are as follows.

(i) Blank (Folio 1 recto.)

(ii) Obiits of six prominent MacDonalds, 1405-1509. (Folio 1 verso, line 1.)

(iii) Annals of the Clan Donald South, 1600-1626. (Folio 2 recto, line 1.)

(iv) Genealogical account of MacDonnells of Antrim. (folio 4 recto, line 12) the Bisset marriage; (folio 4 verso, line 3) Iain Cathanach and his sons; (folio 5 recto, line 1) descendants of Alasdair mac Iain Chathanaich; (folio 6 recto, line 9) the present Earl, Raghnall Óg. (Folio 4 recto, line 12.)

(v) Note on present childless state of Clanranald and Glengarry, with colophon “Aois an Tig[hear]na an tan do sgriobh me so, m[íle] bliaghna ⁊ sé c[éad] ⁊ [dá] fichid ⁊ a h-ocht dh[ég], san bl[iadh]uinsi testa Oilif[er] Cromal brotect[or] Shagsan ⁊ Alba ⁊ Eire .1658.” (Folio 6 verso, line 5.)

(vi) Notes from the Book of Invasions. (folio 7 recto, line 1) Parthalon; (folio 7 verso, line 7) the 6 subject peoples; (folio 8 verso, line 1) the 12 free peoples; (folio 8 verso, line 12) the slingstone of the Tuatha Dé Danann, with verse (folio 9 recto, line 8) beginning ‘An tathluibh teinntighe tenn’ (11 lines); (folio 9 verso, line 3) the descendants of Nemed. (Folio 7 recto, line 1.)

(vii) Ban-sheanchas beginning ‘Sgota ingean Foruinn bean Niuil mathair Gaoidhil Ghlais’. (Folio 10 recto, line 1.)

(viii) Folio 11 recto, blank.

(ix) The Lord’s Prayer. (Folio 11 verso, line 1.)

(x) Almost totally illegible (prose). (Folio 11 verso, line 7.)

(xi) Scottish pedigrees. (folio 12 recto, line 3a) David I; (folio 12 recto, line 9b) Charles I; (folio 12 verso, line1)? (Folio 12 recto, line 1.)

(xii) [Míchél Ó Cléirigh, Seanchas Ríogh Éireann.] (folio 13 recto, line 1) “Do ríoghaibh mac Míleadh”, beginning “Eireamhon mac Mil[eadh] Easb[áinne dá] ngoirthe Tolamh”. Folios 25, 26 transposed in binding and foliation. (Folio 26 recto, line 1) “Do riog[haibh] iar [ccr]eideamh”, beginning “Laoghuire mac Neill N[aoighiallaigh] triocha bl[iadhain] do [co eidir] Eirinn ⁊ Alb[ain]. Sequence of this text is as follows: folio 26; 1 folio missing; folio 25; Adv.MS.72.2.2, folio 48. See 'Archivium Hibernicum', volume v, supplementary pages 15-36 (National Library of Scotland press-mark Y.183).