The Lost Pibroch, and other Sheiling Stories

by Neil Munro

This edition is published as a tribute to mark the 65th anniversary of the author's death. Written in 1896, the title story is set in a now-deserted but identifiable glen beside Loch Fyne, and can be read as an allegory of the history of Highland culture. Notes interpret Gaelic references.

116 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1896

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Neil Munro was a Scottish journalist, newspaper editor, author and literary critic. He was born in Inveraray and worked as a journalist on various newspapers.

He was basically a serious writer, but is now mainly known for his humorous short stories, originally written under the pen name of Hugh Foulis. (It seems that he was not making a serious attempt to disguise his identity, but wanted to keep his serious and humorous writings separate.) The best known were about the fictional Clyde puffer the Vital Spark and her captain Para Handy, but they also included stories about the waiter and kirk beadle Erchie MacPherson, and the travelling drapery salesman Jimmy Swan.

Reviews

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories set in and around one particular glen by Loch Fyne in Scotland. They are quite evocative of the setting and are very well written. There's a varied mix of humorous and dark themes in the stories. I tried this book as a result of the title story, but I'm very glad to found the book. This was a very good collection.

There are a lot of references to bagpipe music and piping terminology is incorporated to good effect in the stories. It isn't essential to know the terminology, but it adds an extra dimension if you do. There are a number of Gaelic phrases used in the story, but the edition I read had a Gaelic glossary. There were also a great deal of Scots words used that had no definitions given, but usually the meaning could be inferred.

[Lisa Marie Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful collection of no-nonsense tales of war and peace, clansmen, ghosts, faeries, love and romance, poverty and dissolution all with a lovely Gaelic lilt to them and just a wee sprinkling of manageable dialect. This collection won't please everyone as it is old fashioned to say the least but the writer has a lovely poetic turn of phrase that made me smile as I read. I wish I could meet Neil Munro and shake his hand.

[Bob Douglas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good book shame about spelling and grammar

Enjoyed the stories enormously but so, so let down by some appalling spelling and grammar. Such a shame, Neil Munro must be birling in his grave!