WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE GAELIC LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE WRITTEN FOR THE WORK, BY THE REV. THOMAS MACLAUCHLAN, LL.D., F.S.A.S., One of the Editors of the “Dean of Lismore’s Book,” Author of “The Early Scottish Church,” &c.; AND AN ESSAY ON HIGHLAND SCENERY, BY THE LATE PROFESSOR JOHN WILSON. EDITED BY JOHN S. KELTIE, F.S.A.S. During the last thirty years, the patriotic labours of the various Scottish book-clubs,--The Abbotsford, The Bannatyne, The Iona, The Maitland, The Spalding Clubs--the works of the various eminent Scottish antiquaries and historians, not to mention many valuable papers and pamphlets, have not only subjected everything connected with the history of the Highlands to an unsparing and searching criticism, but have also brought to light many new facts, and opened up formerly unthought-of tracks of inquiry. Such a flood of light has thus been thrown on all matters connected with the Highlands, that the publishers feel BROWNE’S _History of the Highlands and Clans_,--the work on which this publication is to a certain extent based,--has fallen behind the age, and that, to keep pace with the advanced state of historical research, a NEW WORK IS DEMANDED. Therefore, in preparing the work now presented to the public, it has been found necessary to make such extensive alterations and additions, that the publishers feel justified in calling it a NEW WORK. The work is divided into three sections:-- I. THE GENERAL HISTORY OF THE HIGHLANDS, including RELIGION, LITERATURE, and ANTIQUITIES. II. THE HISTORY OF THE HIGHLAND CLANS. III. THE HISTORY OF THE HIGHLAND REGIMENTS. PART I.--THE GENERAL HISTORY OF THE HIGHLANDS. The whole of this part has been THOROUGHLY REVISED, RE-MODELLED, and to a great extent RE-WRITTEN. All the introductory chapters relating to the PRIMITIVE HISTORY of the Highlands, are NEW, and in them are treated the much controverted questions as to the PICTS and SCOTS, their RACE and LANGUAGE--the EARLY RACES OF KINGS, all points connected with the early SOCIAL and POLITICAL CONDITION of the Highlanders, their ORIGINAL RELIGION and the SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY. The most RECENT INVESTIGATIONS bearing on the ANTIQUITIES of the Highlands, the ANCIENT MANNERS and CUSTOMS of their people, their PECULIAR DRESS, their SOCIAL and POLITICAL RELATIONS, their SUPERSTITIONS, and other interesting antiquarian matters, have been taken advantage of.