Neil MacLeod | Niall MacLeòid (c. 1843, Glendale, Skye – 1913) was a poet and songwriter, known as ‘The Skye Bard.’ He moved to Edinburgh, joined his cousin’s tea business as a travelling agent, and settled in the city for the rest of his life. He achieved popularity and fame with the volume Clàrsach an Doire (1883), becoming an important figure in the Lowland Gaelic cultural scene. His father was the poet Donald MacLeod | Dòmhnall MacLeòid (known as ‘Dòmhnall nan Òran’ and ‘The Glendale Bard’).
Malcolm MacFarlane | Calum MacPhàrlain commented on his work in Guth na Bliadhna in the essay ‘Bàrdachd an Latha ’n Diugh III’ (Spring 1909), and the quarterly also published an elegy for him, ‘Marabh-Rann do Niall MacLeòid’ (Spring 1914) by Duncan Johnston | Donnchadh MacIain.
Publications in Erskine’s Periodicals
- ‘Fàilte do’n Bhàrd’ [poem, GD], Volume I, Issue 1 (May 1901)
- ‘Donnchadh Bàn Mac an t-Saoir’ [essay, GD], Volume II, Issue 3 (Summer 1905)
- ‘Bidh Seumas Leam An Nochd’ [song, GD], Issue 14 (9 May 1908)
- ‘An Tìr bu Mhiann Leinn’ [song, GD], Issue 36 (10 October 1908)
- ‘Màiri Bhaile-Chrò’ [song, GD], Issue 50 (16 January 1909)
- ‘An Tèid Thu Leam, a Rìghinn Òg’ [song, GD], Issue 51 (23 January 1909)
- ‘Tàladh na Bean Shìth’ [song, GD], Issue 52 (30 January 1909)
Resources
- Meg Bateman (ed.), with Anne Loughran, The Glendale Bards (Birlinn, 2014)
- Anne Loughran, ‘MacLeòid, Niall (1843-1913),’ Gaelic Literature of the Isle of Skye: an annotated bibliography (Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, 2018)
- ‘Niall MacLeòid,’ Bliadhna nan Òran (BBC Alba, 2015) [Gaelic only]
- ‘Niall MacLeòid,’ Làrach nam Bàrd (BBC Alba, 2015) [Gaelic only]