James Macpherson and His Contemporaries: The Methods and Networks of Collectors of Gaelic Poetry in Late Eighteenth‐Century Scotland

James Macpherson and his possible forgeries dominate the study of the collection, translation and publication of Gaelic poetry in mid‐ to late eighteenth‐century Scotland. This article will redress this through an examination of the correspondence of Jerome Stone, James McLagan, Donald MacNicol, John Stuart, John Smith and Joseph Macintyre, to determine whether a common practice existed among these collectors, and how it was decided and communicated. Macpherson's position within these factors is assessed to consider whether he acted in accordance with the practices of his contemporaries and to shed new light on his actions as a collector and translator.