our heritage 

Our Celtic ancestors transmitted their heritage by an oral tradition. Since Gutenberg for the last five hundred years we have preserved it by the printed word in books in libraries. Today we have the technology that any book can be published as an E book. Using handheld E book readers, tablets or computers, the E Book can be read  by thousands over future centuries. There is no publishing cost; E books are never out of print; anyone can be a publisher and leave their mark in time. For the Lachlan Library we will publish Lachlan Edition E books which are only available by a donation to the Trust,  available only for individual use with the copyright of the author protected. 

Our heritage is more than preserving historical buildings. It is the history, values and experiences of the clan over the centuries. For nine years we have produced the  "clan lachlan" CD giving the clan records, history, photos, traditions, tales, legends, genealogy, memoirs,  family histories for the members of Clan Lachlan.  This is updated on a continuing basis and the latest CD is filed in the National Library of Scotland which gives a permanent  record. 

For  the Lachlan Library we plan to publish  books and articles in the public domain on Highland History and Culture. as E Books in EPUB, MODI and PDF formats; we plan to publish Lachlan Edition  E Books of family memoirs, family history, pioneer experiences, wartimes experiences etc. Your contribution will be available for readers for all future generations; your own fragment of immortality! We believe that this growing library will help younger and future generations to understand and cherish  their heritage. 

            The Clan, Sir Walter Scott & the E-Book Revolution

About 200 years ago, by the early to mid-years of the 19^th century, approximately 90% of our ancestors had emigrated to Glasgow & the industrial Lowlands of Scotland; England; Australia; Canada; New Zealand; USA. The clan as an integral part of the social fabric of Scotland ended in the sixty or so years since the Forty Five Jacobite Rising. The challenge that Clan Societies face today is to keep the ethos of the clan alive. I paraphrase some recent words of Torquil Ian Campbell, the 28^th MacCailen Mor and the 13th Duke of Argyll , "We in Scotland need to encourage worldwide members of our clan to be proud of their history and heritage if the ideas of clanship are going to be relevant to younger people in today’s society."

The road to London has always been paved with gold for the ambitious Scot. In the early 19^th century, it appeared that ‘North Britain’ was replacing the concept of ‘Scotland’. Scottish history, from the point of view of a Scot, was not being taught. Sir Walter Scott believed that if a nation did not preserve its history and ancient traditions, it would cease to be a nation. Sir Walter, whose books were widely read in English-speaking countries was convinced that an understanding of its history could restore faith and belief in Scotland. In 1822 on the occasion of the visit of George IV to Scotland, Scott, a novelist, a poet and a historian, "created" a mythology of Highland custom and dress which is accepted as "ancient tradition" to this day. He persuaded the King, the hereditary chiefs and peers, to wear tartan and in so doing created the "clan tartan" industry. Ironically, kilted warriors & martial bagpipes; uisge beatha; the independent pride of belonging to a clan; recognized symbols of the Highlanders,( who were regarded in England as savages with a different culture, and in the aftermath of Culloden the victims of genocide), were adopted about 70 years later as the universal icons of Scotland. Queen Victoria and Balmoral cemented this social approval. (It is also ironic that in the same period James Loch had started in 1820 his "Program of Improvement" in Sutherland, leading to the clearances for many ordinary folk in the Highlands.)

The  SOCL 2010 edition of the CD has been launched with a major new addition , the Lachlan Library.  We have started  with Sir Walter Scott and books published from about 1750  to about 1925 and taken from the libraries of the world  

1.0 Sir Walter Scott. From his collection of legends and tales, Scott produced a 1,200 page History of Scotland for the ordinary reader not the scholar. Starting in 1827, it was published over several years as Tales of a Grandfather and was widely popular. A complete edition is included in the Lachlan Library in the "clan lachlan" CD. For easier reading, we plan to publish chapters from this edition in Booklets covering particular periods . We have produced two volumes covering the Jacobite rising of ‘45. Sir Walter was born in 1771, about 25 years after Culloden, so his recollections and observations have the authenticity of having talked to participants.

We have posted  below the starting list of books in the Lachlan Library and on a regular basis will show the books or documents which are being added  for the next "run" of the CD. 

Disclaimer. The only means of obtaining the Lachlan Library is by a charitable donation to the Lachlan Trust of Canada or authorized  agent. It is solely for  individual use and should not be used for any commercial purposes.  The only liability of the publisher to any  purchaser is to supply an electronic replacement of any "library copy" considered defective. 

Note the desired item number from the Library Listing . Go to the Folder Lachlan Library on the CD and select the desired sub Folder. In the sub Folder select the Book folder for the desired item. Most Book folders will contain an EPUB format (the publishing standard) and also the MOBI format ( the standard for the Amazon Kindle). For a few items there are only large PBS files which can be more difficult to read on Book readers and have not yet been converted to EPUB or MOBI format.

I would recommend downloading the Book folder from the CD to a file "Your Library" on a memory stick or on your hard drive. For viewing on your computer use the free Adobe Digital Designs Reader which you can download from http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/

For viewing on your E book reader connect the reader by USB . Select the appropriate Format, EPUB or MPBI. Transfer the selected item to the E Book library on your reader.

There will be approximately 90 books in the first CD. The books are shown by subfolder. We will update the CD on a continuous basis and publish here a list of new items as added. Some books being added may  be given online and could be accessed using the Library Card.

Sub Folder: Society & Culture.

SC1 The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with Samuel Johnson by James Bothwell

SC2 Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland by Samuel Johnson

SC3 More Leaves from a Journal of a Life in the Highlands by Queen Victoria

SC4 Recollections of a Tour made in Scotland A.D, 1803 by Dorothy Wordsworth

SC5 Fragments of Ancient Poetry by James MacPherson

SC6 The Work & Life of Robert Burns by Alan Cunningham

SC7 Lady of the Lake by Sir Walter Scott

SC8 Marmion by Sir Walter Scott

SC9 The Dean of Lismore’s Book by William Forbes Skene

SC10 Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character by Edward Bannerman Ramsay

SC11 Essays on the superstitions of the Highlanders of Scotland by Anne MacVicar Grant

SC12 Religion of the Ancient Celts by J.A,McCulloch

SC13 The Scottish Gael by James Logan

SC14 Edinburgh Picturesque Notes by Robert Louis Stevenson

SC15 The Clyde, river and firth by Neil Munroe

TSL1 Folk-Lore & Legends Scotland by Anon

TSL2 Scottish Ghost Stories by Elliott O’Donnell

TSL3 Stories of the Border Marches by Jean Lang & John Lang

TSL4 Minestrely of the Scottish Borders Vol.1.0 by Sir Walter Scott

TSL5 Minestrely of the Scottish Borders Vol.2.0 by Sir Walter Scott

TSL6 Chronicles of the Canongate by Sir Walter Scott

TSL7 Highland Regiments (from clan lachlan magazine)

TSL8 The Clans of Scotland by R.R McIan. Duncan MacLachlan(Editor)

TSL9 History of Chiefs of Clan Lachlan. by Duncan MacLachlan

TSL10 Kilmorie Dedication by Duncan MacLachlan

TSL11 The Celtic Magazine Vol 1, No 1. November 1875 by Various

TSL12 The Celtic Magazine Vol 1, No 2. December 1875 by Various

TSL13 The Celtic Magazine Vol 1, No 3 January 1876 by Various

TSL14 Collectanea de rebus Albanicis from Iona Club

HT1 Tales of A Grandfather BC to 1500 AD

HT2 Tales of A Grandfather 1500 to 1603

HT3 Tales of A Grandfather 1603 to 1679

HT4 Tales of A Grandfather 1679 to 1703

HT5 Tales of A Grandfather 1703 to 1746

JR1 Tales of A Grandfather 1745 Book 1.0

JR2 Tales of A Grandfather 1745 Book 2.0

JR3 The Jacobite Rebellions 1689-1745 by James Pringle Thompson

JR4 Memoirs of the Jacobites Book 1 by Mrs Thompson

JR5 Memoirs of the Jacobites Book 2 by Mrs Thompson

JR6 Memoirs of the Jacobites Book 3 by Mrs Thompson

HH1 The Highlanders of Scotland by William Forbes Skene

HH2 Celtic Scotland: Land & People by William Forbes Skene

HH3 Celtic Scotland: A history of Ancient Alba by William Forbes Skene

HH4 Celtic Scotland: Church & Culture by William Forbes Skene

HH5 Chronicles of the Picts, Chronicles of the Scots by William Forbes Skene

HH6 The Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland by John MacCulloch

HH7 History of the MacDonalds and the Lords of the Isles by Alexander Mackenzie.

HH8 A History of the Scottish Highlands, Clans and Regiments by Sir John Scott Keltie ,

HH9 Historical Geography of the Clans of Scotland by Thomas Brumby Johnson, James Alexander Robertson.

HH10 The Coronation Stone by William Forbes Skene

HH11 The Four Ancient Books of Wales by William Forbes Skene

PE1 The Conquest of the Old South West by Archibald Henderson

PE2 Settlements of Scottish Highlanders in America by J.P.MacLean

PE3 The Backwoods of Canada by Catherine Park Trail

PE4 Glengarry Schooldays by Ralph Connor

PE5 The Man from Glengarry by Ralph Connor

PE6 The Black Rock by Ralph Connor

PE7 Sky Pilot by Ralph Connor

PE8 The Adventurers on Hudson Bay by Agnes C Laut

PE9 Policing the Plains( The "Royal Canadian Mounted Police"). by R.G MacBeth

PE10 Voyages of Peter Esprit Raddisson by P.E Raddison

PE11 A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay by Watkin Tench

PE12 A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson by Watkin Tench

PE13 Pioneers of the West by William Peter Strickland

JB1 Midwinter by John Buchan

JB2 The Free Fishers by John Buchan

JB3 Salute to Adventurers by John Buchan

JB4 The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan

JB5 GreenMantle by John Buchan

JB6 Huntingtower by John Buchan

JB7 Castle Gay by John Buchan

NM1 The lost pibroch by Neil Munroe

NM2 John Spendid by Neil Munroe

NM3 Doom Castle by Neil Munroe

NM4 Gilian the Dreamer by Neil Munroe

NM5 Bud by Neil Munroe

NM6 In the Highland Harbours with Para Andy by Neil Munroe

WS1 Waverley by Sir Walter Scott

WS2 Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott

WS3 Redgauntlet by Sir Walter Scott

WS4 Heart of Midlothian by Sir Walter Scott

WS5 A Legend of Montrose by Sir Walter Scott

WS6 Old Mortality by Sir Walter Scott

WS7 The Fair Maid of Perth by Sir Walter Scott

WS8 Quentin Durward by Sir Walter Scott

GDB1 The House with the Green Shutters by George Douglas Brown

JG1 The Annals of the Parish by John Galt

JG2 Ayrshire Legatees by John Galt

JG3 The Provost by John Galt

GAH1 Bonnie Prince Charlie by G.A.Henty

GAH2 A Jacobite Exile by G.A. Henty

RLS1 Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

RLS2 Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson

RLS3 Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson

RLS4 Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

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Make it a Clan effort. Make it Yours! Feature your Family. Tell us Your Preferences. Help Find Articles and Books!

We have recently opened the Lachlan Library on CD with some 90 books published from 90 to 250 years ago. The initial concentration is on the history and culture of the Highlands. but the intention is to expand to cover Scottish, Irish  and Celtic history and culture.  We have included a number of novels which portray the author’s perspective of life in the Highlands. 

We plan  to include books and documents on the pioneer life of our ancestors in Australia, Canada , New Zealand, South Africa and the US.

To put it in perspective there are now about 1.8 million books in the public domain, which are out of copyright or had never been under copyright. As a rough rule the pool is everything published before 1923.

Project Gutenberg and Google Digital Editions have put in digital form hundreds of thousands of books from the libraries of the world. As another rough rule it takes about 50 hours of work to scan a 400 page book and convert it to an E book. Once this has been done it can be "produced" for thousands of readers per year for hundreds of year. In essence zero production cost and no trees required.

There is perhaps another million books which are out of print but not out of copyright.; there are many cases where publishers do not own electronic rights. There are opportunities for sale as E Books at very low cost;

The rapidly growing number of E-Book readers, iPad and mobile devices makes it possible for anyone to access and, using an E-book reader of "paperback" size , to read at home out-of print books from the libraries of the world. It is also possible to buy current best sellers as E-books for about 40% to 50% of the cost of a hard copy; competitive pressure will force prices down and there is a huge potential market in republishing out of print books as E books available for a few dollars..

I am a bibliophile, I have several thousand books in my Library, I take aesthetic pleasure in the binding, the paper, the layout and design of books. To my surprise I must confess that I have found it a very easy reading experience in the transition to using an E book reader.

We invite readers to submit titles & authors of out-of-print books which they have found useful in the broad areas of Celtic, Scottish or Irish history, or pioneer experience. We would try and locate a digital copy and if necessary obtain copyright permission. .

We invite members to submit family histories, memoirs, wartime experiences etc. in digital form. We would turn these into E- books, publish as a Lachlan Edition E book  and add to the Library on the CD; your work would now be available for future generations.

A little effort from many can become a major accomplishment. In the past for research, one required access to Libraries with a good collection of books on Scotland. Now from home, one can read digital editions and produce an article or booklet on some area of interest. This can then be turned is a Lachlan Edition E book and added to the Library.Your work would be available for all future generations!

We would greatly appreciate assistance from clan members with representation by country as we would like to feature the collective experience of the clan in different regions of the world. Make this an ongoing collective effort of the Clan. There are no deadline requirements; there are no assigned duties; work on an area that interests you as and when you have time available. Your reward is that your work will be recognized and available for reading for all future generations. Your own fragment of immortality! 

Some of the possible activities:

Search for: existing digital books for the Library. Convert where required into E Books.

Scan:  hard copies of books and articles. Convert into Lachlan Edition E Books.

Edit & Proof read: the books scanned are of variable quality. We can take the original and produce a better copy as a Lachlan Edition with appropriate acknowledgements.

Extract: articles or chapters from digital books. Convert into Lachlan Edition E Books.

Extract: articles from the "clan lachlan" magazine. Convert into Lachlan Edition E Books. 

Produce anthologies of the following subjects for example: The Clan through the Ages; Tales of Jacobites; histories of MacLachlans at war; tales of the Highland Regiments; MacLachlans from Ireland;, pioneering experiences by country; memoirs of an ancestor or family.  Convert into Lachlan Edition E Books.

Collect or Produce : Articles on Genealogy of Regions or Families. Convert into Lachlan Edition E Books. 

Work outstanding; Develop for the library: a catalogue system, a search function, abstracts for books and authors in the Library.

Lachlan Edition E Books. The name of the contributing Editor plus the source name and author would appear on the front cover of a Lachlan Edition E Book  optimized for reading on an E book reader or other mobile device.

Art work.  Produce for Lachlan Edition E Books, front page covers with say a Celtic theme; Produce your own work of art with an E book of your choice in the style of an illuminated Celtic manuscript.

Contact: Duncan MacLachlan

Executive Trustee, Lachlan Trust of Canada. duncan.keir@sympatico.ca

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