!SOURCE: Rev. Dr. Donald MacKinnon and Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS --
THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN, Section III, "MacLeod Cadet Families",
Edinburgh, The Clan MacLeod Society, 1970, p. 201-202.
Mary, a bardess,... was among the first to use the vernacular Gaelic in
operation in the Highlands and Islands in poetry. Hitherto, poetry was
composed in the classical Gaelic language, which was incomprehensible
at the time, except, of course, for the educated elite. The bardess was
born about 1614 and John MacKenzie in his BEAUTIES OF GAELIC POETRY
describes her as the "inimitable bardess of the Isles". She was an
undoubted personality with her tartan tonnag, her penchant for taking
snuff and sharp tongue. Her own poetry leaves no doubt that she was
closely associated with Sir Norman MacLeod of Berneray and is family.
She was employed as a children''s nurse and, according to Berneray
tradition, Sir Norman built a house for her --"tobhta Mairi'' or ''Tobhta nan
Craobh'', close beside his own residence. She was certainlin in Berneray
when Sir Norman MacLeod died there on the 3rd March 1705. She was
then advanced in years and this affords a strong indication that she was
residing on the island. She survived her hero and patron for a few years
and according to Harris tradition was buried in Cruisla Alasdair Ruaidh
in the churchyard of St. Clemens'', Rodel.