Bannatyne Club > Origines parochiales Scotiae > Volume 2, part 1

PEEF ACE.
The contents of the present Part — the Record and Charter History of the Parishes
of Argyll and the Isles — is in a great measure new to the Scotch Antiquary. Chalmers
had not extended his arduous imdertakiug so far ; and no other labom-er in the field
of local history has attempted to tlu-ow the light of Eecords and Charters upon
the HigUands and Isles of Scotland. The valuable work of Mr. Donald Gregory
might perhaps be excepted ; but his objects were quite tliiferent from those of the
present compilation.
These materials of precise knowledge do not carry us so far back here as
in the Lowlands, for Charter tenures were not in favour among the early Celts.
The previous history of this district — the cradle of the race from which Scot-
land has taken its name — is to be gathered from other sources, often not easily
reconciled with each other, or with ascertained Chronology. The meagre lists of
Scotch Kings, and fragments of ancient national chronicles, recording in few
words the death of a prince or the occurrence of a battle ; the Chronicles of
Ireland scarcely more hberal in their disclosures ; incidental notices of civil events
in the biographies of the first missionaries of the Christian faith ; the sagas of
the Northmen, seldom deigning to record more than their own glory ; these are
the materials from which the student has to construct a consistent and reasonable
historical creed of Argyll and the Isles. Over and through all he will find a vein
of myths, such as surround the origin of most nations, and are best preserved