Ossian Collection > Thoughts on the origin and descent of the Gael

29S
dominion of the kings of Scots, can admit of no
doubt; so were all the people denominated Drao-
naick resident in the Highlands of Scotland; and
the burial place called Cladh nan Draonaich, as
formerly observed, proves distinctly, that a por-
tion of the people called by that name, inhabited
lona and the country in its neighbourhood.
It is certain, that as late as the twelfth century
there were ancient historical records existing in
Scotland, containing genealogical accounts of its
kings, whether Pictishor Scottish, and narratives
of remarkable events in the history of its inhabi-
tants ; but few of these are to be found in our
times, and we are left to glean a few facts from
those scanty sources of information which now
remain. We shall take notice of some pieces of
ahcient writing, which are to be found as tran-
scribed in the learned antiquary Mr Innes's Ap-
pendix to his Critical Essay on the Ancient In-
habitants of Scotland.
" De situ Albania qua in sejiguram hominis ha-
" bet : quomodo fuit pritnitus in stptem regionibiis
" (sic) divisa, quibusque nominihus antiquitus sit vo-
" cata, et a quibus inhabitata.'" Ex MS. Biblio-
thec« Colbertinae, Cod. 3120.
" ]. Operae pretium puto mandare memorise
" qualiter Albania, et a quibus habitatoribus pri-
" mitus habitataj quibus nominibus nuncupata
" et in quot partibus partita.
" 2. Legimus in historiis et in chronicis anti-
" quorum Bntonum, et in gestis et annalibus