We’ve been recording the abundant pew graffiti in Baile na Cille church – it’s a common phenomenon, evidently. Here’s John Macleod, Banner in the West (Birlinn 2008, p 283):

Island churches are still immune from vandalism (with some notable lapses in 1900) but there is a venerable tradition of scrawling initials, dates and even little pictures on the church pew, a diversion all the more readily accomplished in the days before electric lighting. The pews of Shawbost Free Church are replete with such memorials from the 1920s and beyond, though the odds of ever identifying an ‘MM 1934′ or a ‘JMcL’ are passingly remote. I had not long occupied my present pew in Stornoway when I noticed the immaculate sketch of an Imperial German officer, over the neatly printed ‘BOSCH 1918′. But who drew it we cannot now know, and it is unlikely he survives.

MacDonald’s take on this is interesting. ‘These graffiti are not very controversial. They do not “adorn in order to desecrate”… rather they are a powerful reminder that the space of worship belongs to the congregation, purchased by their tithes and, in some cases, actually built with their labour. Graffiti must be interpreted as proprietorial statements: this is our space. Accordingly, these are very Presbyterian transgressions, breaches of etiquette which affirm the ultimate authority of pew over pulpit.’

The MacDonald quote is from Towards a Spacial Theory of Worship: Some observances from Presbyterian Scotland, by Fraser MacDonald, Social and Cultural Geography, Vol 3 No 1, 2002.

Clearly this isn’t unique to island churches; if you have other examples, please share them. One of the most famous instances in Scotland is the names of the ‘Wicked Generation’ of Glencalvie, who camped in the churchyard at Croick in Sutherland in 1845 when they were cleared, and scratched their names on the windows.

See more of our graffiti here.

Meanwhile if you’d like to catch up on some Baile na Cille history, here are some notes we’ve carried before:

Ministers in Uig

Baile na Cille Cemetery

Parish of Uig in 1749

The Old Statistical Report 1796

The New Statistical Account 1833

The Viking Princess and the Seeing Stone

John Munro and the Saighdeirean Mac a’ Mhinisteir

Macgillivray’s Visit to the Old Baile na Cille Church, 1817

The Minister We Never Had

Darkness in Uig

A Rebuking in 1825

The Bequest of the Bell, 1829

Letters from Alexander Macleod, before and after his time in Uig

David Watson and his Boundary Dispute

The Kirk Session Wonders Where the Money Went, 1866

Emily Goes to Church, 1919

Aonghas nam Beann

Upright in Uig

The Reverends Norman Morrison

Rev MacFarlane’s 25th Anniversary

Thanks to the kindness of the new owners, Brian and Miranda Gayton, the church was open to visitors for two days in September 2011, including on  Latha na Fir-Taileisg when some of the Chessmen came home.

Back: Murdo Nicolson Miavaig, Angus Maclean Breanish, John Mackay Uig Lodge, Angus Maciver (Bain) Geshader, Norman E Morrison (Dola) Breanish, Angus Macleod Timsgarry, Finlay Macdonald Timsgary.

Front: Donald Macleod Geshader, Rev Angus MacFarlane Baile na Cille, Malcolm Matheson Ardroil, John Maciver Crowlista, Rev William Macleod Uigen, Malcolm Buchanan Valtos.

Missing: John Macdonald Timsgarry, Murdo Buchanan Uigen, Peter Macdonald Crowlista.

See also the companion picture: the ladies who did the tea and a couple more in the album.

Baile na Cille Church in Uig will be opened to the public for two days in September as part of the 21st Doors Open Days event in Scotland.

Comann Eachdraidh Uig and the new owners of the building, Brian and Miranda Gayton, have joined forces to provide an opportunity for the community of Uig, and anyone with an interest in the history and architecture of the building, to explore the building, which remains as it was when last used for services, prior to the start of renovation works.

Information about the history of the church, a small collection of artefacts, photographs and plans for the redevelopment of the building as a private residence will be display.

The church will be open from 11am to 4pm on Saturday 10 September and Tuesday 13 September. The latter date is also the day the Chessmen will be in Uig, which, as Comann Eachdraidh Uig member Sarah Egan explains, is particularly appropriate.

“The church is relevant to the story of the chessmen as it was opened in 1829, two years before they were found, and the minister Alexander Macleod, whose evangelical preaching had grown the congregation to the extent that the new church building was needed, was also apparently involved in the sale of the chessmen,” she said.

The group Urras Bhaile na Cille had attempted to buy building from the Church of Scotland for the community but that campaign was unsuccessful.

The aim of the annual Doors Open Days event is to open up for free sites normally closed to public or which charge an admission fee. More than 250,000 visits are regularly made to over 900 sites across Scotland, from the Scottish Borders to the Shetland Isles.

This year marks Doors Open Day’s 21st birthday as it began in Glasgow and Ayr in 1990 during the European City of Culture celebrations. It is coordinated nationally by the Scottish Civic Trust with support from Historic Scotland and EventScotland. The event takes place every September, along with Scottish Archaeology Month coordinated by Archaeology Scotland, to link in with European Heritage Days which sees millions of visitors in 50 countries explore a wide range of sites.

Civic societies, local authorities, heritage and building preservation trusts act as area coordinators, and are supported by many volunteers numbering over 5,500 at last count who gave up the equivalent of 18 working years without a holiday! The economic impact of the event is similarly impressive with more than £25 million generated for the Scottish economy over the event’s lifetime.

Photo: John Macrae (Shonnaidh Mor) Timsgarry; Donald Macleod (Gobha na Uigen) Uigen; Donald Mackay (Domhnall Neil) Crowlista; Calum Gillies, Carishader; unknown; John Macdonald (Iain Fhearchar) Geshader; Rev Macniven; Rev Lee (Edinburgh); Iain Neil Mackay Crowlista; A’ Phraoisg?; Kenneth Maclean (Coinneach Dhomhnaill Chaluim) 19 Valtos; Murdo Maciver, Geshader.

Virtually the whole of the congregation of Uig had joined the Free Church at the Disruption in 1843, which necessitated the building of the large, new but fairly rudimentary church on reclaimed land at Ceann Langabhat – completed in 1846, at which point, according to local tradition, a watch was kept over it at night for fear that “the other ones” would set it alight.

There was further disquiet within the congregation over the next decades. In 1875, after the repeal of the Patronage Act, the larger proportion of the Free Church congregation rejoined the Established Church at Baile na Cille, with Angus Maciver, son of the Catechist, as their minister. The rest continued at the Free Church, and most of these united with the United Presbyterian Church to form the United Free Church in 1900. They were still worshipping in the old Free Church building at Ceann Langabhat (Miavaig), and by 1909 the state of both the manse and the church were causing concern. From the minutes of the Deacon’s Court in that year:

This church was built in 1843 and like many other buildings put up hurriedly at that period, it was meant to meet the requirements of the time. It was a double roofed building with low walls and left without flooring or lining to the walls. the roof has been for many years threatening to give way and when the weather is wet water finds its way in many parts through the roof to the great discomfort of the worshippers. but for the church crisis the work of repair and renovation would have been undertaken long ago and it is now necessary to undertake the work without delay.

The Church was seated for a thousand people but since the Parish has decreased considerably in population, and with all the secessions taking place since 1843, a church to accommodate six hundred would be quite ample.

It would in the opinion of the office-bearers be more expensive and less satisfactory to repair the present church than to build a new one. The proposal is to take down two sides of the present and rebuild on a smaller area, and heighten the walls using the material at hand as far as possible. The membership of the congregation is 161, and the number of adherents is over 400.

It took four years for the project to come to fruition; by that point the congregation stood at 169 members, 7 elders and 12 deacons, with 169 pupils attending four Sunday schools. The work on the church began at midsummer. The Highland News carried the reports.

Highland News, 21 June 1913

Contracts have now been set for the new United Free Chruch to be erected at Miavaig, Uig. The contractors are:- Mason, Mr Donald Maclean, Lochcarron; Joiner, Mr John Mackenzie, Lochcarron; Slater, Mssrs Macswayed and Fraser, Dingwall; Plumber, Mr William Tolmie, Dingwall; Lath and plaster, Mssrs T Turbull & Son, Portree; Painter, Mssrs Donald Mackenzie & Sons, Stornoway. The work which will cost about £1000 is to be commenced first week.

Highland News,  20 September 1913

The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was dispensed in the United Free Church congregation of Uig last Sabbath. The Minister of the congregation, Reverend James Maciver, was assisted by the Reverends AJ Morrison, Portree, and R Morrison, Stornoway. The communion services began on Thursday and ended on Monday. Most of the services were conducted in the open air in a beautiful sheltered spot in Valtos Glen – an ideal place for a communion if the weather is favourable. Sunday however turned out to be an exceedingly wet and boisterous day, and it was found impossible to worship in the Glen.

The congregation being without a place of worship, a new church being in course of erection on the site of the old one, they were generously accommodated on the site of the old one, [the] Established Church, by the favour of the minister, the Reverend Allan Mackenzie. It is a sign of the times and a foreshadowing of coming events when office-bearers of United Free and Established partook together of the Sacred Symbols. The congregation of Uig had an eventful and stormy history, and during the turbulent period 20 or 30 years ago not even the most sanguine could have imagined that in the year of grace 1913 such a scene could be witness as took place on Sunday last. But we are moving forward and surely it is to better things. The ministers of both congregations one to be congratulated on the goodwill shown both by them and [by] their congregations on this occasion.

Highland News, 8 November 1913

The new United Free Church at Uig was opened on Thursday by the Reverend Peter Macdonald, West Church, Glasgow. There was a large congregation, and the whole service was hearty and encouraging. A number of the ministers of the Presbytery were present, and the Reverend Allan Mackenzie, Established Church, was also on the platform. After an appropriate sermon from Isaiah 62, verses 6 and 7¹, Mr Macdonald in a few words declared the church open.

George Macleod, Garrabost, clerk of the Presbytery, made some remarks, as also did Reverend Allan Mackenzie. Mr MacNiven, the minister of the congregation, voiced the thanks of the congregation first of all to Dr Macgregor and Mr Lee to whose kind efforts the congregation are indebted for the new church, then to the various contractors who did the work entrusted to them so well, to Reverend Peter Macdonald for coming to open the church, and to all the other friends who with their means and with their presence encouraged the congregation at this new stage of their history. The church is a handsome building and most suitable to the requirements of the congregation.

The church did indeed absorb the back wall of the old building, which was seen again during later renovations. As foretold above, the United Free joined with the Established Church to form the Church of Scotland in 1929; there were two Church of Scotland congregations in Uig until they merged into a single charge in 1979.

John Macleod’s History of the Church in Uig (available to consult at the museum and in Stornoway Library) gives more detail on the secessions.

¹Isaiah 62: 6. I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence 7. And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

The Parish of Rieff is an extensive Parish on the West Side of the Island of Lewis. I do not know exactly the number of the population of the parish, but the new church that was built some time before the disruption¹ was seated for 1,000 people and I am sure I saw in that same church on different occasions, listening to hear the glad tidings of the Gospel, upwards of 12 hundred people [...]

When I was born, and for the period of 23 years after, the whole inhabitants of the parish were sunk in dark ignorance of God. There was not so much as a form of Godliness in the whole place. Wickedness of all descriptions committed in broad daylight. There was no person to testify against the abominations committed in the land, ‘like priest, like people.’ The worship of God was not kept in any family, lamentable to think of all this.

The Minister² was ignorant of the Gospel and of the nature of true Godliness and therefore could not impart to others that Gospel of which he was not made a partaker himself, by the teaching of the Spirit of God in his own soul. The name of Christ was not to be heard in his sermons. He would tell the few that did go to church³ that he had good news to tell them. That the British Army gained in the battle on their enemies and that was great matter of thankfulness. Such was the ignorance of the people that they believed all that the Minister said as an oracle. When any children were to be baptised, the ceremony was performed in one of the Tennants’ houses. A good number of friends would meet there on the Sabbath evening or on a weekday. After the children were baptised, the Bottle and the Horn (an adhairc dhrama) was put on the table and for courtesy’s sake the health of the Minister and the newly baptised child or children was drunk all round about and the evening was spent in this way. But here I may observe that, as far as I know, and the accounts that I heard from others about the man, that the Minister was not a drunkard himself although the practice was very general in the Parish.

When the Sacrament of the Supper was dispensed in the Parish, every sinner was made welcome to come and partake of the Lord’s Supper. I understand that it was a general practice to have plenty of whisky provided on that occasion and to go from the Table of the drunkard to the Table of the Lord, and in that way profaning the Holy Ordinance of our Blessed Lord, and hardening sinners in their unconverted state, and encouraging them in their wicked career from day to day. Not a word of prayer in the families of these people after coming home on Sabbath evening. The Sabbath was almost in a level with any other day of the week. The Minister did not preach the great need of a man being born again. Gross darkness and gross ignorance overshadowed the whole land at this moment. [...]

It was my Father’s practice on Sabbath morn to bring all the children to the Barn and he would make us all go on our knees around him. He would pray with us there for some time. Again, before he would go to bed on Sabbath night, he would do the same, but not on week days. When any person was sick they would send word to my dear Father to go and pray with the sick person, and this was all the Godliness that was amongst the people.

It was the general practice in these dark days of ignorance and superstition, as soon as the Harvest was done, to engage a Piper or a Fiddler for dancing. Balls and rioting on each Farm once a week.  There the young men and women met for the better promotion of the Kingdom of the Devil. I was mad for dancing. Oh, Lord, I am ashamed of this wickedness and madness which I have committed in thy sight. Pardon mine iniquity for it is very great.

Compare to Rev Alexander Macleod’s letter of 1824 on a similar subject. Don’t worry; things get better.

¹Baile na Cille Church was built in 1829, in the throes of revival, to hold a thousand.
²Hugh Munro, Minister in Uig 1778 to 1823
³The old thatched church near Baile na Cille Cemetery.

Martin Martin, in his Description of the Western Isles of Scotland (1695) gives an account of the use made of the Flannan Isles at the time and the superstitions that attended a visit. (photo: Murdanie Macdonald)

The inhabitants of the adjacent lands of the Lewis, having a right to these islands, visit them once every summer, and there make a great purchase of fowls, eggs, down, feathers, and quills. When they go to sea, they have their boat well manned, and make towards the isalnds with an east wind; but if before or at anding the wind turn westerly, they hoist up sai, and steer directly home again. If any of their crew is a novice, and not versed in teh customs of the place, he must be instructed perfectly in all the punctilioes observed here before landing; and to prevent the inconveniences that they think may ensue upon the transgression of the least nicety observed here, every novice is always joined with another, that can instruct him all the time of their fowling; so all the boat’s crew are matched in this manner.

After their landing, they fasten the boat to the sides of a rock, and then fix a wooden ladder, by laing a stone at the foot ofit, to prevent its falling into the sea; and when they are got up into the island, all of them uncover their heads, and make a turn sunways round, thanking God for their safety. The first injuection given after landing, is not to ease nature in that place where the boat lies, for that they reckon a crime of the highest nature, and of dangerous consequence to all their crew; for they have a great regard to that ver piece of rock upon which they first set their feet, after escaping the danger of the ocean.

The biggest of these islands is called Island More; it has the ruins of a chapel dedicated to St Flannan, from whom the island derives its name. When they are come within about twenty paces of the altar , they all strip themselves of their upper garments at once; and their upper clothes being laid upon a stone, which stands there on purpose for that use, all crew pray three times before they begin fowling; the first day they say the first prayer, advancing towards the chapel on their kneews; the second prayer is said as they go round the chapel; the third is said hard by or at the chapel; and this is their morning service. Their vespers are performed with the like number of prayers. Another rule is that it is absolutely unlawful to kill a fowl with a stone, for that they reckon a great barbarity, and directly contrary to ancient custom.

It is also unlawful to kill a fowl before they ascend by the ladder. It is absolutely unlawful to call the island of St Kilda (which lies thirty leagues southward) by its proper Irish name Hirt, but only The High Country. They must not so much as once name the islands in which they are following by the ordinary name Flannan, but only the Country. There are several other things that must not be called by their common names, eg visk, which in the language of the natives signifies water, they call burn; a rock, which in their language is creg, must here be called cruey, ie ‘hard’; ‘shore’ in their language, expressed by claddach, must here be calle vah, ie a ‘cave’; ‘sour’ in their language is expressed by gort, but must here be called gaire, ie ‘sharp’; ‘slippery’, which is expressed bog, must be called ‘soft’; and several other things to this purpose.

They account it also unlawful to kill a fowl after evening prayers. There is an ancient custom by which the crew is obliged not to carry home any sheep suet, let them kill ever so many sheep in these islands. One of their customs is not to steal or eat anything unknown to their partner, else the transgressor (they say) will certainly vomit it up; which they reckon as a just judgement. When they have loaded their boat sufficiently with sheep, fowls, eggs, down, fish, etc, they make the best of their way homeward. It is observed of the sheep of these islands that they are exceeding fat, and have long horns.

I had this superstitions account not only from several of the natives of the Lewis, but likewise from two who had been in the Flannan isles the preceding year. I asked one of them if he prayed at home as often, as fervently as he did when in the Flannan Islands, and he plainly confessed to me that he did not; adding further, that these remote islands were places of inherent sanctity; and that there was none ever yet landed in them but found himself more disposed to devotion there, than anywhere else.

If you’d like to try any of this, Seatrek do daytrips and Island Cruising takes it in too.

The people of the island coming to the meeting house on winter nights, whether for the purpose of being catechised, or hearing an ordinary lecture and exposition of God’s word, is a scene that no one could ever forget who saw it even once.

The meeting-house is in a hollow, surrounded by jagged, cragged, broken hills all around. From our house could be seen blazes of light comiing from all quarters making for the meeting-house. Before starting from their homes they provided themselves with peats of fire to light them on their way fixed ot an irdon spit, or held in tongs, and a fresh supply of peats under their arms, which directed their steps on the way, for every step must be watchd with the greatest caution.

There was no road of any description, and I would defy any place to be more difficult to walk on a dark night. There were no lanterns in Bernera in those days, nor any paraffin oil. A few families had candles, but the most depended on peat fire light, and lamps in which they used fish oil.

At the beginning of winter, the people provided for the meeting-house a supply of this oil stored in large jars to replenish the lamps. The regularity with which these people came to these meetings, and in such circumstances, is something wonderful to comtemplate, and of which, I believe, there is nothing analogous at this day in Scotland. They must have been receiving real spiritual good, when they continued it all the years that I remember on that Island.

Much more on Angus Maciver to follow.

We’ve looked before at the remarkable Angus of the Mountain. The little stories surrounding his life and faith are numberous – here are a few more abridged from Macfarlane’s Men of the Lews (1924):

His mental constitution was not of gun-metal. It was weak and of the wool-gathering order. People said he just mooned around. When the great Revival came to Uig (1824) it embraced Angus, and he was cast into the deepest spiritual concern. Then he went back to his native hills and spent days and nights there in prayer… He started the new life and continued in it on an extraordinarily high level, and became as fixed as if melted into it in a liquid state.  The regard and affection that were poured out on him were more than ordinary.

Mr Alexander Macleod, the minister, had so high a regard for Angus [although he refused to allow him to become a communicant, on the grounds of intellectual capacity -Ed.] that he engaged a teacher to teach him to read. The teacher could make nothing of him. His memory for the alphabet was hopeless. He could repeat A; with much labour he succeeded in adding B, but there was no room in his mind for the third letter. With effort after effort to get C in, he had to abandon the task. Angus met all endeavour to instruct him by affirming that he did not see Christ in these letters. HE would rather be out of the hillside with Christ than filling himself up with this kind of learning.

On one occasion in Stornoway there met him a man who was gomeril enough to say to Angus, “Oh, aren’t you the Uig fool?” Angus fell aboard ofhim with the reply, “The Bible says the fool is he who trusteth to his own heart,” which the Stornoway man was evidently doing.

Angus was much in request for public prayer. His gift was remarkable, and when he prayed it felt as if the heavens opened and the Bethel Ladder came down. He did not always respond when called. “Angus! you lead us in prayer,” said the minister. “Oh no, minister, I cannot to-day.”  ”Certainly Angus, you can and you will.” “Not to-day, minister; I cannot do it.” “Yes, rise, Angus, Jonah prayed when he was worse off that you. He prayed when he was in the whale’s belly.” “Ah! but I have the whale in mine today!” When Angus rose he was like a ship in the trade-winds, he sped on with unvarying triumph, with everything right alow and aloft.

Herding cows was thought to be a simple service which Angus could easily fulfill. Again and again he failed. Once his father was angered by his letting the cattle into the corn, and he chased Angus with loud threatening. “Lord, cause my father to stumble” rose from the lips of the son, and sure enough down when the father, and Angus escaped.  The minister entrusted Angus with his cows, and the same straying into the cornfield happened. When someone said to him, “Why, Angus, did you not pray that the cows might be kept from the corn?” he replied, with an injured look, “It would never do to put cows into the prayer.”

Angus was given to soliloquy. Many of his words fell on ears in the passing, and were rehearsed eagerly through the parish. Here is a specimen: “Oh, my Saviour, the Black One came to me to-day. He was going to trouble me. Fire was in his eye. I told him You were coming and I expected You soon. Oh, You should see how he took to his heels.”

There was one bit of soliloquizing that raised many a ripple of laughter. The banns of marriage were in his time all proclaimed in church.One day he was overheard going over his own banns. “There is a purpose of marriage between Aonghas ___ and Margaret ___, etc.”

Although Angus was not one of those who spoke on Fridays of Communion, he ranked as one of the forces in the Island of Lewis. His faith, his simplicity, his warmth of love gave him rank. He found God in everything.

Do lorg ‘s do bhata treun
Tha iad a tabhairt comhfurtachd

Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Psalm XXIII, v4

Do Lorg ‘s Do Bhata Treun was written by Murdo Macdonald of Crola during his stay in Lewis Hospital, while awaiting his operation for goitre. The operation was unsuccessful and he died at the age of 30 in August 1939. Murdo was a remarkable auto-didact and had, shortly before his illness, decided to train for the ministry – but Providence had ordained otherwise. More on Murdo Crola coming soon.

Tha ‘n lorg ‘s am bata treubhach seo
Chomh eufachdach ‘s chomh ullaichte
Thug fialaidheachd ar De dhuinn e
‘Se freagairt neimh d’ ar cunnartan
Rinn Iosa d’ a chrann ceusaidh e
Le eiginn is le fhulaingeas
‘S bhar craobh na beatha a’ gheug ud dhuinn
Mar bhata treun gu’n d’ ullaich E.

‘Se gras ar De am bata treun
A thug E fhein mar dhileab dhuinn
Cha chaill e fheum ‘n uair bhios do cheum
A geilleadh ‘s neart a’ diobradh dhuit
Bheir e oige do ‘n aois
Is soarsa do na priosanaich
Bheir e treoireachadh do dhoill
Gu Tir na Soillse is chi iad ann.

‘Se seo am bata thug a’ bhuaidh
Do sluagh a bh’ air an sarachadh
‘Sann leis a sgoilteadh am Muir Ruadh
‘S a fhuair iad tarsainn sabhailte
An Airc a’ choimhcheangail sa’ chuirt
Bha ‘n tuisear ‘s a’ phoit mhana ann
‘S an t-slat a bhann le toradh ur
Be ‘n lorgsa cruint le blathan dhuit.

An lorg am bata treun tha seo
Cha gheill e nuair a dhearbhar e
‘Se claidheamh spioraid Dhe a th’ann
Chuir faobhar geur neo-chearbach air
Is ged a bhiodh do namh mud’ chuairt
Le bhuairidhean mar armailtean
Gum bris thu trompa chun na buaidh
Is gheibh thu duais na dh’earbas as.

O! faigh am bata seo nad laimh
‘S ged bhiodh do greum air gailneachadh
Ma bhios e agad mar do choir
Lan-fhoghnaidh e gu d’ shabhaladh
Gheibh thu leis troimh dhorus neimh
‘S chan fheum thu dad a phaigheadh ann
Is geibh thu leis gu cathair Dhe
Sruth Iordain fhein cha bhath e thu.

O! faigh am bata seo nad laimh
Is cum do ghreum an gabhadh air
Ged a bhiodh do thuras sgith
Gu’n ruig thu Tir Immanuel
Ni e a chuis air muir ‘s air tir
Is diridh tu gu Paras leis
Ni e ‘n garbh ‘na chomhnard min
‘S cha diobair thu ‘n Gleann Baca leis.

Am bata treun ‘se gealladh Dhe
Bho chathair fein ‘ga charadh riut
Ma dh’earb thu d’anam ris is d’fheum
Nach treug E thu ‘s nach fhag E thu
Bidh sud mar ghuth bho thir tha cein
‘S mar sholas grein ‘sna sgailean dhuit
Tha sud a fosgladh dorus neimh
Dhuit fein ‘s dhomh fein ged ‘s taireil sinn.

Is tric a shaoil an criosdaidh og
‘Nuair fhuair e pog a’ choinneachaidh
Gum biodh iarmailtean gun sgoth
Gun tigeadh gloir a’ chruinneachaidh
Ach thainig dorchadas is ceo
As-creideamh ‘s moran teagamhan
Ach leis an lorg seo mar a choir
A dh’ aindheoin neoil chan eagal dha.

‘Nuair bhios an criosdadh bochd an sas
San lathaich ‘se na shineadh innt’
‘S a thoil ag iarraidh dol an aird
Ach sas a’ pheacaidh fillte uime
Chan e neart a choguis leoint’
Na deoir bheir fuasgladh inntinn dha
Ach lorg ‘Bhuachaill air a thoir
A’ tairsge trocair chinnteach dha.

Na stad a’ caoidh an t-àm a bha
‘S an t-àm a tha chomh freagarrach
Tha ‘n lorg seo fhathast ri do lamh
Is tar e fhad ‘s is urrainn thu
Tha e do gach neach le ‘n aill
Is phaigheadh leis ann an urras e
A’ dol an coinneamh beath is bas
Chaneil nas fhearr mar ullachadh.

Tha aig an lorg seo feartan ur
Tha cumhachd triur na Trianaid leis
Gu’n tig an truaghan leis o’n uir
Gu’m faigh e crun nach criochnaidh leis
Is ged a rannsachadh tu chliu
Cha tuig thu tus a’ dhiamhaireachd
Ach gabh e – ‘s seinnidh tu a chliu
A stigh an cuirt na siorruidheachd.

‘Nuair theid do ghrian san iar san am
Bhios feasgar gann gu dunadh ort
San t-solas fhann nach leur dhuit ceann
Na slighe thall san dùbhlachd ud
‘S tu a sa ghleann ‘s na dubhair teann
Is bann do bheatha sgeoileadh ann
‘Nuair bhios tu fann, thig neart ‘na dheann
Leig cudthrom trom do shaoraidh air.

Murdo Macdonald, 1939