The manuscript is watermarked 1798, and is described by John Francis Campbell (‘Leabhar na Feine’, page xvi) ‘as genuine a bit of folk lore as any in the world’.

Archibald Fletcher’s affidavit, sworn before Archibald Menzies, Justice of the Peace, in Edinburgh, 1801, is printed in the Ossian Report, Appendix, page 270. It lists the tradition-bearers from whom he learned the poems. Menzies states that Fletcher could write his name, but was unable to read the manuscript, which is signed passim by the two men.

The poems being most unlike the contrived work of James Macpherson and John Smith, ‘Corrupted Copies’ is written on the cover. Pages i-iv are additional sheets bearing notes on the manuscript made in 1871 by John Francis Campbell, who printed the bulk of the text in ‘Leabhar na Feine’.

The contents are as follows.

(i) Summary of contents (Henry Mackenzie’s hand). (Page v.)

(ii) Index to pages 1-109. (Page vi.)

(iii) ‘Ach Oisain Uasail mhic Fhinn’, 114 lines. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 136. (Page 1.)

(iv) “Innis dhuinne, ‘Phàdruic”, 33 quatrains. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 43. (Page 9.)

(v) “‘Sann aig tigh Chrom’ghlinn n’an clach”, 63 lines + prose. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 84. (Page 18.)

(vi) ‘Tur gan deachaidh iad thar tuinn’, 333 lines + prose. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 25. (Page 25.)

(vii) “La ga’n rabh Padruic na Mhùr”, 238 lines. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 97. (Page 49.)

(viii) “Latha dhuinn ann sa Bheinn Bhàin”, 91 lines. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 55. (Page 64.)

(ix) “Latha araid ‘bha Fionn sa bhein-sheilg”, 62 lines. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 93. (Page 70.)

(x) ‘Air bhi do Fhionn air tullaich Fhoirr’, 52 lines. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 69. (Page 75.)

(xi) “Teachdaireachd a bh’aig mo Righ”, 45 quatrains + prose. Cf. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 63. (Page 80.)

(xii) Birth and boyhood of Fionn. Prose beginning ‘Nuair chaidh Cuthal a mharbhadh’. (Page 84.)

(xiii) “Chualas sgeul luainneach ‘s cha bhreug”, 59½ quatrains. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 203. (Page 89.)

(xiv) ‘Bhuail a Chailleach aig an dorus gu teann, teann’, 74 lines + prose. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 59. (Page 103.)

(xv) Index to pages 111-194 (Donald Mackintosh’s hand). (Page 110.)

(xvi) ‘Sgriob a chaidh Fionn le Fhiannibh’, 88 lines. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 176. (Page 111.)

(xvii) ‘Moch eiridh rinn flath nam Fiann’, 15 quatrains. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 91. (Page 117.)

(xviii) ‘Thuirt Fionn ri Gairidh mac Mornai’, 51 lines + prose. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 147. (Page 122.)

(xix) ‘S fhada lag mi airsadh Chor’, 58 lines. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 148. (Page 127.)

(xx) ‘Am fear is fearr buaidh an leum’, 63 lines + prose. Death of Fionn. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 195. (Page 132.)

(xxi) ‘Latha dhuine a sealg nan cluanan’, 89 lines. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 52. (Page 140.)

(xxii) ‘Latha dhuinn air luachair Leobhair’, 154 lines. Cf. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 65. (Page 148.)

(xxiii) “Sgialachd air Chonn Machd n’ Deirg”, 195 lines. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 114. (Page 161.)

(xxiv) Notes on Fingalian sites in Breadalbane and Argyll, dictated by Fletcher to Donald Mackintosh. Includes ‘Maothan maiseach bu chaoin cruth’, 1 quatrain. (Page 179.)

(xxv) ‘Eirich a Riogh na Teimhre’, 210 lines. ‘Leabhar na Feine’, page 4. (Page 183.)