The Collections

In keeping with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig’s status as the National Centre of Gaelic Language and Culture, the Library has an important role in acquiring and storing Gaelic related resources in print and other formats. The Library’s collections span the centuries from early printed books to the latest in electronic resources.

The quality, rarity and significance of the Sabhal Mòr Ostaig collections make them an important part of the nation’s documentary record and their international value has been recognised through the Library’s membership of the Consortium of European Research Libraries and Ligue des Bibliothèques Européenes de Recherche.

Lending Collection

The Lending Collection supports the curriculum, covering subjects taught on College courses including Gaelic language and literature, language policy and planning, Highland history, material culture, folklore and traditional music. Resources are available in a variety of formats (e.g print, audio visual and digital) and materials are stocked in Gaelic, English and other Celtic languages

Journals

The Library’s journal holdings can be viewed here.

Links to content information on publishers’ websites or elsewhere, have been provided where possible.

Mac-Talla

Mac-Talla (“Echo”) was the name of a Canadian Gaelic newspaper/magazine published weekly – latterly bi-weekly – in Sydney, Nova Scotia, between May 28, 1892, and June 24, 1904, around 540 issues in all. A digitised version is available here.

Record Collection

The Library holds a sizeable collection of historic 78-rpm recordings of Gaelic singers and musicians gifted from the archives of the BBC in Glasgow.

The Special Collections

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig’s Special Collections span the centuries from early printed books until the mid 20th century. The quality of the Special Collections makes them an important part of the nation’s documentary record and their international value has been recognised through the library’s membership of the Consortium of European Research Libraries and Ligue des Bibliothèques Européenes de Recherche.

There is further information below on each named special collection.

The MacCormick Collection ▿

The life’s work of the pre-eminent Gaelic bookseller and collector Donald MacCormick (North Uist/Edinburgh) is one of the finest collections of early printed Gaelic materials in existence. The Collection totals in excess of 1,800 volumes. It contains material from the 17th century onwards and covers an impressive range of subject matter, including language, poetry, religion and many other topics relating to Highland social history.

The Celtica Collection ▿

Amounting to over 1,500 items, this collection represents the scholarly and discriminating, long-term acquisition of Celtic Studies material by the 19th-century gentleman-scholar, Sir Robert Gordon of Letterfourie (1824–1908). On his death, the collection was bequeathed to Fort Augustus Abbey and remained there until the Abbey Library was auctioned in 1999.

The Sorley MacLean Collection ▿

This remarkable collection of books belonged to the renowned poet Sorley Maclean. Numbering almost 1,800 titles, the collection includes old family books, prizes from Sorley’s schooldays and presentation copies, in addition to his own personal acquisitions. Subjects are wide-ranging, but mainly cover English and Gaelic literature, Highland history and the arts. It provides an interesting insight into one of Scotland’s finest poets of the 20th century.

The Magne Oftedal Collection ▿

Professor of Celtic at the University of Oslo from 1957 until his death in 1985, Magne Oftedal studied general linguistics and the historical linguistics of the Celtic languages, especially Scottish Gaelic. His PhD was on the Gaelic of Liùrbost, Isle of Lewis, and he carried out a considerable amount of research on Old Norse place-names in Scotland. There are about 1,500 items in the collection, including print and audio materials.

The Robert Rankin Collection ▿

Professor Robert A. Rankin (1915–2001) was Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Glasgow. He was a distinguished scholar with a passionate interest in Gaelic language, poetry and music. As well as research papers, the collection comprises approximately 200 books, some of which date back to the 18th century.

The Kenneth MacKinnon Collection ▿

This collection bears witness to the work of the renowned scholar and researcher Professor Kenneth MacKinnon. Materials date from the 1970s and include primary data from socio-linguistic research carried out in Cape Breton, the Western Isles and Skye, notebooks, articles and conference papers. His research over the years has documented opinions about Gaelic and language use in the community.

The Roderick Cannon Collection ▿

This collection represents a lifetime of meticulous research by Professor Roderick Cannon on unravelling of the complexities of ceòl mòr ‘the great (pipe) music’. It includes books and journals on music, as well as research papers, correspondence and audio recordings. In terms of scholarship in piping, Professor Cannon’s devotion to pibroch was outstanding and his collection is an invaluable research resource.

The Major Richard Powell Collection ▿

Formerly a piper in the Scots Guards, Major Richard Powell pursued his interest in the Highland bagpipe by assembling what has been widely acknowledged as one of the most comprehensive private collections on the subject. The collection spans over 200 years of publication and includes rare texts, first editions and unique items. It complements the Cannon Collection, offering an exceptional resource for pipers and researchers.

The Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Collection ▿

This collection comprises an important and valuable collection of antiquarian books, some of which were part of the library’s original collection when the College was founded. The collection continues to grow through purchase and generous donations from individuals, including books from the collections of historians Dr John Bannerman and Dr Michael Robson, as well as papers from organisations such as Comunn na Gàidhlig, Comhairle nan Sgoiltean Àraich and Pròiseact nan Ealain.

The Collections

Lending Collection

Journals

Mac-Talla

Record Collection

The Special Collections

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