If you’re looking for Scottish bagpipe sheet music, then you’ve come to the right place. Maighstir Iain Dhonnchaidh, by Father John MacMillan of Barra, is a Highland schottische, which is played on the Highland Bagpipe. It was written by Duncan Johnstone, who was a piper living in Glasgow. He was the nephew of famous piper Duncan McMillan. He was also a frequent visitor to his mother’s house.
Born in Barra in 1880, Father John MacMillan went to school and later completed his studies at Blairs College in Aberdeen. His time at St. Sulpice Seminary in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France, led to his ordination as a priest in 1903. After a short stint as parish priest on the Isle of Eigg, he was transferred to Benbecula in 1908. There, he became known as the “Patron of the Isles” and was adored by all who knew him.
The parish priest of Craigston, MacMillan was a man of many talents. He loved the language of his ancestors and the conversation of his fellow men, and he gave back to life with a great deal of life. A poet, humanist, and priest, he was revered and admired by his community. He died of heart failure on June 1st 1951, aged 76. His last wish was to rest on the shore of the ocean in eternal peace.
In addition to his piping work, MacMillan befriended the famous writer Sir Compton Mackenzie. The novelist was best known for his play Whisky Galore, which was made into a critically acclaimed Ealing comedy. His friend and parishioner, Neil Angus MacDonald, based his character Fr James Macalister in the movie Keep the Home Guard Turning.
The Father John MacMillan of Barra, also known as Father John McMillan of Barra, was born in 1880 on the Isle of Barra. His ancestors’ language was very rich, and he loved to converse with his fellowman. The clergyman was also a poet and a humanist. He died in 1951, but his memory lives on. The people of Benbecula held him in high regard, and he took special care of his flock.
MacMillan, also known as Father John McMillan of Barra, was a parish priest on the Isle of Barra for more than fifty years. During his lifetime, he served his parishioners in a variety of ways, including as a poet and humanist. He died on June 1, 1951, at age eighty-seven. The ancestors of the island have been playing the Barra for centuries.