Biography

Calum MacLean, Calum a' Ghlinne, was from Kinlochewe. He had been in the army when he was younger and as a result had a small pension. He also rented some land at the foot of Beinn Fuathais.

According to the history that John MacKenzie gives of Calum a' Ghlinne in the book Sàr Obair nam Bard Gaelach, Calum was married to a woman who was almost as patient as Job in the Bible. She had to be patient because Calum was very fond of alcohol.

Calum and his wife had only one child, a very beautiful daughter, who had come of age but couldn't find a husband. Her father was blamed for this situation because he drank every penny he earned, and as a result he could not pay her dowry. In the song Mo Chailin Donn Òg he praises his daughter's beauty and admits his guilt:

Bidh d' athair an-còmhnaidh ag òl le caithream,
'S e eòlas nan còrn a dh'fhàg mi cho falamh.
Mo chailin dhonn òg.

It seems that despite her father, Calum a' Ghlinne's daughter got married and she and her husband were living in Contin around the year 1769.

If Calum composed more songs, there is no record of them today. He was apparently a pleasant man who was good at singing, and people sought his company when he went into an inn.

MacKenzie had a story about a trip that Calum made to Dingwall on a summer's day to get oatmeal. The day was hot, and Calum became thirsty and visited an inn for a drink. There he met a drover from Badenoch, and they began to drink together, dram after dram, until Calum had spent all his money.

He told the drover that he would stay longer if he had any money left. The drover subsequently bought Calum's grey horse and the two continued to drink until Calum ran out of money for the second time. When Calum said that he had to go home, the drover said that he did not understand how he had the nerve to go home to his wife in the condition he was in. "My wife?" said Calum in surprise, "She won't say anything but, 'God bless you, Calum.'"

The drover bet that this wouldn't happen and, if it did, that he would give Calum back the price of the meal and the price of the horse. They set off together and his wife was so happy to see Calum return home safe and sound that she put her arms around him and said, "God bless you, Calum." With that, Calum received the price of the meal and the horse from the drover.

Calum a' Ghlinne died around the year 1764.

List of compositions

Mo Chailin Donn Òg