Blair Collection > Celtic gleanings, or, Notices of the history and literature of the Scottish Gael

LECTURE II. 79
that of M'Leod — the former manifestly a Celtic
tribe ; the latter having, to say the least, a
number of Scandinavian names in their older
genealogies. It is questionable, however,
whether they are primarily a Scandinavian race.
The Maclachlans and Laments of Cowall are
well known as among the more ancient High-
land tribes, and both of indisputable Celtic
origin. The attempt to make the former out to
be Danes, from the name of Denmark being in
Gaelic Lochluinn, can hardly be made to consist
with well-known facts.
But enough has been said to point out certain
conclusions w^hich seem to be well founded re-
garding our Scottish Celts, and to indicate cer-
tain lines of direction which our inquiries might
take profitably in searching more at large into
their past history. The limits proposed in these
notices will not admit of anything like a history
of the Highlands.