An Ribheid Chiuil
being the Poems of
Iain Archie MacAskill, 1898-1933
Bard of Berneray, Harris
What has proved a most intriguing surprise, however, is the handwritten inscription:
To Fred Macaulay
With Kindest Regards
Alick Morrison
24/3/61
What intrigues me is whether the recipient was perhaps the late Fred MacAulay (1925-2003) who was originally from Sollas, North Uist and then went on to become the Senior Gaelic Producer at BBC Scotland in 1964, following Finlay J Macdonald (1926-1987) in that role?
I shall have to do a little more checking but the name Fred MacAulay is extremely rare in Scotland and it seems entirely plausible that Alick Morrison would sign a copy of his new book for the fellow Gaelic scholar from just across the Sound of Berneray?
Incidentally, Fred MacAualy was named, via a relative Frederick Thomas Gillies, after Captain FWL Thomas.
Update:
I did get the handwriting verified, and a correspondent kindly confirmed that my copy had indeed once been sitting on Fred MacAulay's bookshelf at the BBC.
It is now sitting on my own bookshelf in Alick Morrison's home island of Berneray...
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