The American-born folklorist and musician Margaret Fay Shaw’s passion for the Hebrides led her to the island of South Uist in 1929. There she met Pèigi and Màiri MacRae, and her search for the ‘pristine’ version of Gaelic songs began. It would be a lifelong passion.
In 1938, Margaret moved to Canna, as the wife of eminent folklorist John Lorne Campbell, where her extraordinary work continued. Her archive there remains a vital resource for understanding Hebridean music. The island is also home to Margaret’s collection of still and film photography, which captures the essence of life in the Hebrides at a time when old traditions were vanishing.
Author Fiona J. Mackenzie draws on Margaret’s diaries, letters and notebooks, and brings her own musical expertise to this fascinating story, celebrating the legacy and life of a remarkable woman.
About the Author: Gaelic singer Fiona J. MacKenzie has worked in the fields of Gaelic Arts and Culture for thirty years. She was previously Canna House Archivist, National Theatre of Scotland Gaelic Artist in Residence and Highland Council Gaelic Song Fellow. She has won several prestigious awards including the prestigious BBC Traditional Music Personality of the Year Award (2004), the An Comunn Gaidhealach Mod Gold Medal (2005), the ‘Premier Ostano Prize’ for Indigenous Music Composition (2023) and has been nominated as Gaelic Singer of the Year four times.
£25, hardback ISBN 9781780279596 Published October 2025