Norman Campbell
288 pages
Once a household name in much of the Highlands and Islands, Rev. Archibald Cook of the Free North and Daviot was an Arran-born bilingual preacher who attracted large crowds. His life-time saw the area transformed by clearance, emigration, religious revival and early language-shift. A friend of the poor and an encourager of the weak, Cook was prized for his straight-talking style. The author uses contemporary sources to sketch the life and times of a man who could spot the least sign of religious interest, while able to expose hypocrisy. The social and ecclesiastical life of the north, including the ordinary people's struggle in the pre-Disruption era to choose their own ministers, is explored.