According to an editorial note in Guth na Bliadhna, Alexander MacDonald | Alasdair Dòmhnallach (c. 1831 – c. 1906), known in English as ‘Sandie Ashtree’, spent many years as a porter serving the monks in Fort Augustus. The issue of Winter 1906 mentions him as recently deceased. He composed the song published in the quarterly when he was living in the Isle of Scarba, north of Jura.
The photograph, taken outside the Fort Augustus monastery, was found in a bound volume of Guth na Bliadhna which was transferred to the library of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig from the monastery as part of a large donation of Gaelic books. It is inscribed ‘A. MacDonald, porter, May 1902,’ and was likely kept by one of the monks as a memento of the poet’s long-term association with the monastery.
- Alasdair ‘Sandie Ashtree’ Dòmhnallach: ‘Òran Sgarba’ [song, GD], Volume III, Issue 1 (Winter 1906)