Commonplace book dated 1848, paginated by the scribe 1-732, 781-790, blank after page 727. A leather label pasted onto the front paste-down reads "Donald McKay 1848". The scribe was possibly the Rev. Donald Mackay (1829-1910), a native of Creich, Sutherland, minister of various parishes including Paisley and Nova Scotia. From 1848-1853, around the time of writing of the commonplace book, he was schoolmaster in Ullapool. If Mackay's identity could be confirmed, this time scale might explain the inclusion of many children's songs in the volume, and the book may have been given to him to mark the beginning of his first employment in Ullapool.

The book contains:

Medical prescriptions, some not in Mackay's hand. Pages 12-43.

Copies of contracts, one of them (pages 62-63) a marriage contract dated "At Skibo Octr 29 1839".

"An alphabet of short-hand with the words the letters stand for &c." Pages 65-66.

Text in Greek concerning heroic figures of antiquity. Pages 69-118.

"Of the barometer". Pages 119-177.

"Of statics". Pages 178-204. Pages 205-220 blank

Songs and poems, partly with musical notation. The words are written above, rather than below, the lines of staves, possibly suggesting that none of the songs were copied from versions that included both text and music together. Including many songs for infant school children, the words probably copied from the 'Glasgow Infant School Magazine' of the 1830s, where they are printed without music, however. Also includes a number of Gaelic songs and riddles, see below. Pages 221-423, and some songs scattered nearer the beginning of the volume. Pages 424-432 are blank.

Texts of religious instruction and philosophical themes, pages 433-727.

The remaining pages are blank.

The Gaelic items are a miscellany of songs and riddles. They may in part go back to printed editions, for example the first volume (1829-1830) of the journal 'Teachdaire Gaelach' and include a song by the female poet Grace Mackenzie. Two of the songs appear to be Donald Mackay's own compositions. The Gaelic contents are:

[Anonymous]. Song headed "Oran", and with a note at the end: "From Lochaber". Beginning 'Och a bhrathar ma rinn thus ar fagail / Snach dig u tra so do taobh tuath / Ged bha bhur duil ri u thighinn dhachidh / Ach sann thamh hu us cha danig thu'. Pages 55-57.

[MacLeod, Rev. Dr. Norman; Sinclair, Archibald]. Song headed "Funery", usually known as "Farewell to Fuinary", a song in English by the Rev. Dr. Norman MacLeod; a Gaelic version of it ("Soraidh slàn le Fionnairidh") was made by Archibald Sinclair. The song is given in English here but with the Gaelic version of the refrain. Pages 358-362

[Mackay, Donald]. Song headed "Oran" and signed at the end: "D. MK." Beginning 'Is cudheal gorach that [sic] an slough / I's cudheal gorach leam an cruaidheas'. Pages 370-374.

[Mackay, Donald]. Song headed "Oran air n' Ardan", signed "D. MK." Beginning 'Neach aig am bheil an tardan shaigphaigh air na chridhe / Oir tha e farcim e fein na [..?]'. Pages 374-376.

[MacDonald, Rev. John, minister of Ferintosh]. Song headed "An Criosduidh aig bruaigh Iordan", beginning 'Is dluth air abhainn Iordan mi'. This was first printed in 'Teachdaire Gaelach' 1 (1829-1830), pages 102-103, and several times thereafter, including editions of MacDonald's works of the 1830s and 1840s. Pages 377-387.

[Grant, Rev. Patrick]. Song headed "Gradh m fhear Shaoraidh", beginning 'Le gradh m' fhear saoraidh a bhios na cheol domh'. This was first printed in the first collection, 1815, of Grant's songs and included in a number of editions thereafter. Pages 387-396.

"Toimhse", a riddle. 2 lines. Page 396.

Pp. 397-402 [Mackenzie, Grace, Badenoch]. Song headed "Eifeachd fuil n Uain", beginning 'O sann tha n' eifeach am fuil n' Uain'. This was printed several times without attribution, mostly in the editions of Patrick Grant, but the author is identified by Hugh Barron, 'Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness XLVIII (1976), p. 51.

[Macintyre, John, minister of Kilmonivaig]. Song headed "Mari aluin bhoidheach. Fonn Catherine Ogie", beginning 'A bhruchaibh uil sa thulachan / Ma chaisteal Inbhirlochie'. Signed "E.A.", possibly due to a transmission error based on the first appearance of this translation in 'Teachdaire Gaelach' 1 (1829-1830): 155-156, where a note at the end states "Ead. le Abrach". Pages 403-406.

[Macintyre, James, of Glenoe]. Song headed "Aisling Mhairidh", beginning 'Nuar dheirich gealich gheal nan tra'. A translation of "Mary's dream", a song by John Lowe (1750-1798). It was first published by Robert Stewart in 1802 and appeared in later editions, including 'Teachdaire Gaelach' 1 (1829-1830): 108-109; it was first ascribed to Macintyre in Duncan Kennedy's second song collection of 1836. Pages 406-409.

"Toimhseachan". Two more riddles. Page 410.

[Macintyre, Donnchadh Bàn]. Song, unheaded, beginning 'Mo Mhairi bhan oig is tu an oigh air maire'. A fragment only. The song was printed in Macintyre's first edition of 1768 and many times thereafter. Pages 411-412.