In March, 1882, a 22-year old Allan MacDonald returned to Scotland after five
years in Spain. He was ordained in Glasgow and immediately offered a teaching position at Blairs which he declined. Instead he went to Oban where, at the time, the locals, fishermen and shopkeepers were predominantly Gaelic speaking though the number of Catholics very small. Among them, however, was one Donald McLeod, a native of Eigg and it is from him that the young priest started his collection of Gaelic hymns and prayers that, as yet, had never been written down.
