author
Robert Craig Maclagan
1839–1919
A Scottish doctor with a wide-ranging curiosity, he moved from medicine into folklore and anthropology, collecting traditions from the Highlands and publishing work that still draws interest today.
1 Audiobook
Evil eye in the western Highlands
by Robert Craig Maclagan
About the author
Born in Edinburgh in 1839, he trained as a physician and went on to become a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. Alongside his medical career, he developed a strong interest in anthropology and traditional culture.
He is especially remembered for his work in Scottish folklore. He gathered material from the West Highlands, wrote on games, customs, and beliefs, and helped preserve traditions that might otherwise have been lost. His published work includes The Games and Diversions of Argyleshire and other studies rooted in Scottish popular tradition.
He also took part in wider cultural and educational life, including helping to found the Scottish Association for the Medical Education of Women. He died in 1919, leaving behind a body of work that connects medicine, scholarship, and the lived traditions of Scotland.