Walter MacFarlane facts for kids
Walter MacFarlane (who also sometimes spelled his name MacFarlan) was an important Scottish historian and collector of old things. He lived in the 1700s and was the 20th leader, or "chief," of the Clan MacFarlane. He passed away on June 8, 1767.
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Who Was Walter MacFarlane?
Walter MacFarlane was the second son of John MacFarlan. John was the chief of the Clan MacFarlane and lived in a place called Arrochar. Walter's mother was Helen, whose father was Robert, the second Viscount of Arbuthnott. A "Viscount" is a noble title, a bit like a lord.
When Was He Born?
We don't know exactly when Walter was born. We do know that in 1709, he was not yet 21 years old. This means he was born after 1689. His father died in 1705, and Walter became the clan chief around that time.
What Did He Do?
Walter MacFarlane was very interested in history and old documents. He spent a lot of time collecting and writing down information. People who study and collect old things are called "antiquarians."
His Famous Collections
Walter created many collections of writings. Some of these were about "genealogy," which is the study of family histories and how people are related. He wrote down many family trees.
His most famous work is called Geographical Collections relating to Scotland. This was a huge project, filling three books! In these books, he gathered all sorts of information about Scotland. This included:
- History: Stories and facts from the past.
- Geography: Details about the land, rivers, and mountains.
- Folklore: Traditional stories, beliefs, and customs of the people.
Walter collected most of this information between 1748 and 1749.
Publishing His Work
Walter MacFarlane's Geographical Collections were not published while he was alive. They were printed much later, in 1906, by a group called the Scottish History Society. This is called being "published posthumously," meaning after his death.
A doctor named Arthur Mitchell helped prepare the books for publishing. Walter's work also included many notes from another person, Robert Sibbald. Sibbald had tried to make a detailed study of all the different areas, or "parishes," in Scotland.
