Donald MacKillop
from the island of Berneray, Harris.

’S ainneamh Gàidheal a chluinneas an t-òran ‘Coille an Fhàsaich’ nach urrainn innse cò a rinn e: Dòmhnall MacPhilip à Beàrnaraigh na Hearadh. Tha an t-òran air duaisean a chosnadh is air a dhol air feadh an t-saoghail, is fonn eireachdail Dhòmhnaill fhèin ris. Ach chan eil an sin ach an t-òran as ainmeile a rinn e, is tha mòran eile de dh’annas a làimhe ri fhaighinn san leabhar seo. Tha measgachadh math ann – feadhainn bhrosnachail, feadhainn thiamhaidh is feadhainn èibhinn – ach ge brith dè an cuspair, tha a’ bhàrdachd grinn, dealbhach agus ceòlmhor. Chan eil teagamh nach deach ‘fiacail a’ bhàird’ a bhuileachadh air Dòmhnall MacPhilip!

’S ann mu dheidhinn àite uaigneach san Eilean Sgitheanach a chaidh ‘Coille an Fhàsaich’ a dhèanamh, mar a tha fhios againn uile. Ach b’ ann am Beàrnaraigh,  far a bheil taigh agus dlùth-chàirdean aige fhathast, a rugadh agus a thogadh Dòmhnall fhèin. Tha e air cuid mhath dhen t-saoghal mhòr fhaicinn, eadar seirbheis-cogaidh anns a’ Chabhlach Rìoghail agus grunn dhreuchdan, air an dùthaich agus anns a’ bhaile. Tha dealbh air leth ùidheil agus tarraingeach air òige ri faighinn ann an ‘Sùil air ais’ – aig toiseach an leabhair seo – ach chan eil sin na iongnadh, oir tha Dòmhnall cho math air naidheachd innse is a tha e air bàrdachd a dhèanamh, agus tha fèill air mar fhear-eachdraidh is mar sheanchaidh.
Tha Dòmhnall MacPhilip an-diugh air chluainidh ann an Gleanna Comhann ach bidh e gu tric a’ tilleadh air ais dhan eilean ionmhainn san d’ fhuair e àrach òg.

English Translation

Most Gaelic-speakers will be able to tell you who composed the song ‘Coille an Fhàsaich’ (‘Fàsach Wood’): Donald MacKillop from the island of Berneray, Harris. With its beautiful melody – composed by the bard himself – it has won awards and become familiar throughout the world. But that’s just one of his songs, albeit the most celebrated. This book introduces the lover of poetry and music to much more of Donald’s fine handiwork: a wide variety of poems and songs,  inspirational, plaintive, humorous. But whatever the theme, the poetry is always beautifully crafted and full of musicality. Without a doubt Donald MacKillop inherited the ‘bard’s tooth’!

‘Coille an Fhàsaich’ was inspired by a lonely wood in the Isle of Skye. But Donald himself was born and raised in Berneray, where he still has a home and close relatives. He has seen much of the world since then, including service in the Royal Navy and several other occupations, both urban and rural. In the introductory chapter of the book, ‘Looking back’, Donald paints a most fascinating picture of his own youth: but this should come as no surprise, for Donald is as good at telling stories as he is at composing poetry, and we welcome his debut in print both as historian and shenachie.
Nowadays Donald MacKillop lives in quiet retirement in Glencoe, but he often returns to the beloved island in which he was raised.


Donald MacKillop with Anne Lorne Gillies while working together on the book in 2008.