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Lays of the Highlands and Islands

By John Stuart Blackie
Blackie, John Stuart (1809-1895)

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TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE BARONESS BURDETT COUTTS.
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IONA.
  
THE VOYAGE OF COLUMBA.
  
THE DEATH OF COLUMBA.
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SONNETS.
 I. 
I.THE TOURISTS.
 II. 
II.THE ROYAL SAINT.
 III. 
III.THE LORD'S DAY IN IONA.
 IV. 
IV.MOONLIGHT.
 V. 
V.THE BOULDER.
 VI. 
VI.THE DISAPPOINTED TOURIST.
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MULL.
  
A PSALM OF BEN MORE.
  
THE DUKE'S RETREAT.
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SONNETS.
 I. 
I.BEN TEALLADH.
 II. 
II.LOCH BAA.
 III. 
III.LOCH BAA: AGAIN.
 IV. 
IV.FAREWELL TO LOCH BAA.
 V. 
V.BEN GREIG.
 VI. 
VI.MULL WEATHER.
  
THE RUINED CLACHAN.
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SKYE.
  
BLAVEN.
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ORKNEY.
  
THE OLD MAN OF HOY.
  
THE DEATH OF HACO.
  
STENNIS. I.
  
STENNIS. II.
  
MAESHOW.
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SHETLAND
  
BURRA FIORD.
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ARGYLLSHIRE.
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GLENCOE.
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
 IV. 
IV.
 V. 
V.
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SONNETS.
 I. 
IKING'S HOUSE INN.
 II. 
IIMOONLIGHT AT KING'S HOUSE.
 III. 
IIITO AN OLD LEAFLESS TREE ON THE MOOR, NEAR KING'S HOUSE.
 IV. 
IVTHE BUCHAILL ETIVE.
  
SONG OF BEN CRUACHAN.
  
THE ASCENT OF CRUACHAN.
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SONNETS.
 I. 
ION THE MONUMENT TO NELSON AT TAYNUILT.
 II. 
IIBEN CRUACHAN IN A DARK EVENING.
 III. 
IIIJOHN BRIGHT AT TAYNUILT.
 IV. 
IV.JOHN BRIGHT AT TAYNUILT.
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OBAN.
  
HUMOURS OF HIGHLAND WEATHER.
  
A SEPTEMBER BLAST IN OBAN.
  
THE LAST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER IN OBAN.
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INVERNESS-SHIRE.
  
THE LAY OF THE BRAVE CAMERON.
  
FASSFEARN.
  
GLENFINNAN.
  
THE MONUMENT OF PRINCE CHARLES EDWARD, AT GLENFINNAN, LOCH SHIEL.
  
KINLOCH LEVEN.
  
KINLOCH MOIDART.
  
KINLOCH MOIDART.
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DUMBARTONSHIRE.
  
EDENDARACH.
  
ROB ROY'S CAVE.
  
ARDLUI: THE PULPIT ROCK.
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ROSS-SHIRE.
  
A PSALM OF LOCH DUICH.
  
TAIN: THE CHAPEL OF SAINT DUTHACH.
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SUTHERLANDSHIRE.
  
BONNIE STRATHNAVER.
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CAITHNESS.
  
JOHN O'GROAT'S HOUSE.
  
WICK: THE HERRING FISHERY.
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PERTHSHIRE.
  
LOCH RANNOCH.
  
LOCH RANNOCH MOOR.
  
AT LOCH ERICHT.
  
A SONG OF BEN LEDI.
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ABERDEENSHIRE.
  
BRAEMAR:
  
BEN MUICDHUI.
  
THE HIGHLANDER'S LAMENT.
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ARRAN.
  
GLEN ROSA.
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GENERAL.
  
BONNIE BLACKWATER.
  
HIGHLAND INNS.
  
THE HIGHLAND MINISTER.
  
THE HIGHLAND MANSE.
  
THE LADY WHO LOVES THE HIGHLANDS.
  
THE BOULDER.
  
SOLITUDE.
  
THE SONG OF THE HIGHLAND RIVER.

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29

V.
THE BOULDER.

Whenoe comest thou? The rest are black, but thou
Art rough and red as any Roy MacGregor,
And show'st as strangely on this spot, I vow,
As in white Washington a sooty nigger!
Say, wert thou roll'd o'er from the ruddy Ross
By Noah's flood, when God was wroth with men,
Or, when the giants played at pitch and toss
Wert thou the counter for their gambling then?
I know not: but what men who read the rocks
Propound, that Nature in her crude display
Of Titan strength with blocks high-heap'd on blocks
Made glorious sport, before Sire Adam's day,
May well be true; and, when the young sun shone,
Some travelling iceberg dropped this mighty stone.
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