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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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I.
THE TOURISTS.

What brought them here across the briny pool,
A motley train of high and low degree,
Grave seniors, girls whose blue eyes flash with glee,
White-collar'd priests, and boys uncaged from school?
I know not—happy if themselves can tell;
No sights are here to trap the vulgar eye,
No dome whose gilded cross invades the sky,
No palace where wide-sceptred Cæsars dwell.
An old grey chapel on an old grey beach,
Grey waste of rocks unpictured by a tree,
And far as hungry vision's range can reach,
The old grey mist upon the old grey sea:
These shows for sense; but the deep truth behind
They only know who read the mind with mind.
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