Buchanan, Dugald

(1716-1768)

   A Gaelic poet, "the Cowper of the highlands" was born at the mill of Ardoch in the valley of Strathtyre and parish of Balquihidder, Perthshire. When the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge was established in Scotland, Buchanan was appointed schoolmaster and catechist at Kinloch Rannoch in the parish of Fortingale. He assisted the Rev. James Stewart of Killin in translating the New Testament into Gaelic. He was interred at Little Leny in the parish of Callander, the burial place of the Buchanans of Leny and Cambusmore. His poems are reckoned to be equal to any in the Gaelic language for style, matter, and the harmony of their versification. His poems: "Am Bruadar [The Dream]," "An Claigeann [The Skull]," "An Geamhradh [The Winter]," "Laoidhibh Spioradail [Spiritual Hymns]," "Latha a'Bhreitheanis [The Day of Judgment]."

   Sources: Dictionary of National Biography. Electronic Edition 1.1. Oxford University Press, 1997. The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. 11th ed. The Columbia Granger's Biography. Electronic Edition 1.1. Oxford University Press, 1997. Encyclopædia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite DVD, 2006. English Poetry: Author Search. ChadwyckHealey Ltd., 1995 (http://www.lib.utexas.edu:8080/search/epoetry/author.html). The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. 11th ed. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry, Columbia University Press, 2005 (http://www.columbiagrangers.org). The Cyber Hymnal (http://www.cyberhymnal.org/index.htm). The New Oxford Book of Eighteenth-century Verse. Roger Lonsdale, ed. Oxford University Press, 1984.