Folksongs and Folklore of South Uist (book)

Even today, the range and depth of its scholarship it encompasses has never been surpassed. It is a wonderful evocation of the vibrant life and history of South Uist and the Gaelic world in which it played so important a part. Full of traditional prayers, proverbs, medicinal cures, anecdotes, recipes and folklore, it presents, as no other book does, the rich tapestry of Gaelic culture in the words of the people who lived in and through that culture.

Enriched by Margaret Fay Shaw’s marvellous photography, Folksongs and Folklore of South Uistis both an introduction to the world of the Gael and a fitting memorial to a world now largely disappeared. The material was mostly collected between 1929 and 1935, during the author’s stay in South Lochboisdale.

Margaret Fay Shaw died in December 2004 at the age of 101.

Read more about Margaret Fay Shaw in our Scottish Music Heroes

Check out the CD Margaret's Glen by Paul McCallum and Vivien Mackie