Tales and Traditions of the Lews

Donald Macdonald
Birlinn 2004
ISDN 781841580555

Donald Macdonald (1891-1961), “Dolly Doctor”, was a native of Stornoway and Uig who practiced medicine in London but retired to Gisla in Uig. He married Emily Lever, niece of Lord Leverhulme. This miscellany of legends, stories, lists, reports and poetry is a rich collection of material drawn from a variety of sources, including oral tradition. It’s particularly good on Uig and mediæval tales involving Macleods, Macaulays and Morrisons.  The recent reissue from Birlinn is currently out of print but is due for a reprint in spring 2009 and meanwhile copies (and of the original 1967 publication, which includes photographs) are available second hand.