A new Celtic Studies scholarship, set up by the family of a prominent Aberdeen businessman, has been awarded to a research student from Perthshire with Lewis connections.
The first MacLeod Scholarship, established to mark the University’s Quincentenary by Dr Calum MacLeod, his late brother and his sisters in memory of their parents, has been awarded to David Findlay, a research student and PhD candidate in the Department of Celtic at the University of Aberdeen.
A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, David was awarded in 1999, with distinction, an MSc (by research) in Scottish History, from Edinburgh. His research interest is principally the ecclesiastical and cultural history of the seventeenth century in the Highlands, with particular interest in the church in Gaelic-speaking areas and Gaelic religious works published during the seventeenth century.
David (25) is delighted that the award of the MacLeod Scholarship in Celtic Studies has encouraged his research interests.
“I am particularly concerned with Gaelic texts and the historical and cultural context in which they were made and used. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the history, literature and religion of Gaelic-speaking areas. The aim of my research is to further our understanding of the history and culture of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.”
Dr MacLeod, Deputy Chairman of Scottish Media Group, Chairman of Grampian Television, and former Chancellor’s Assessor of the University, said: “We are delighted that the first award has been made to such an eminently suitable candidate as David Findlay and we wish him all success with his research work.”
Professor Donald Meek, Head of the Department of Celtic, University of Aberdeen, said the Scottish universities had seriously neglected the history of the church in the Highlands and Islands over the last 25 years.
“It is, therefore, a particular pleasure to have the support of Dr MacLeod’s family and the MacLeod scholarship. It has helped greatly to revitalise research in this field and David Findlay is a very worthy recipient of the first award of the scholarship. The convergence of his family links and his research interests is ideal.”
The MacLeod Scholarship in Celtic Studies was established to mark the Quincentenary of the University of Aberdeen in 1995. The family of the late Reverend Lachlan MacLeod and Mrs MacLeod set up the scholarship in memory of their parents, who were both Aberdeen graduates and who have since been followed by several other members of the family who graduated from Aberdeen.
David’s mother is a native of Garrabost, Lewis, where the Reverend Lachie MacLeod, as he was affectionately known, was parish minister. He was well known in his time throughout the Highlands and Islands, serving as a parish minister in Dunvegan in Skye, Garrabost, Lewis, St Columba’s, Stornoway, and Glenurquhart, Inverness-shire.
University Press Office on telephone +44 (0)1224-273778 or email a.ramsay@admin.abdn.ac.uk.