The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

THE
Sheriff Nicolson. 701
SHERIFF NICOLSON.
death of Sheriff Nicolson removes from our midst
the most literary of our Gaelic scholars. He died
suddenly- of heart disease in Edinburgh on the 13th of
Jannary, in the 66th year of his age. His life history is
shortly told. He was born of a good Skye family at
Husabost in that island in the \-ear 1827. After his education
in his native parish, he entered the Edinburgh
University with a view o":" entering the ministry of the Free
Church. There he took his degree of M.A., distinguishing
himself in philosophy, a subject in which he acted as
assistant to two of the professors. Changing his mind as
to the Church, he read for law, and was called to the Bar
in 1S60, but he had little or no practice, his chief profes-
sional work being the reporting of legal cases for the law
journals. In 1872 he was appointed Sheriff-Substitute of
Kirkcudbrightshire, whence he was transferred, in 1885, to
similar duties in Greenock. He finally retired from active
duty in 1889 in failing health, and since then he has.
resided with his sister in Edinburgh. His Alma Mater
conferred on him the degree of LL.D. about a dozen years
ago ; and he was both idealised and idolised b}- his Gaelic
countrymen all over the world.
Sheriff Xicolson was a man of r'^al genius in matters of
literature, and he was equal 1)- successful in his efforts
whether in Gaelic or English. His knowledge of Highland
history and lore was great, and his love for everything
Highland was e\ en greater. One thing debarred him from
reaching the highest rung of professional and literary