Campbell of Duisk — Robert Craig

Campbell of Duisk, first published in 1933, is set in Argyllshire on the east shore of Loch Awe near Ford and the district known as Glassary. It is the saga of the rise and fall of a landowning Campbell family from the18th through to the 20th century. After the death of the Jacobite Dugald MacLachlan of Duisk the land hungry Colin Buie Campbell acquires the estate. The novel vividly describes the fortunes of his descendants over eight generations, relating their lives to the history of Argyll and the wider world. Particularly well realised are Colin Buie's three powerful grandsons: Scipio - who becomes a general, Archy - a law lord - and Colin - an admiral. Over the years, however, as subsequent lairds lose touch with the Gaelic way of life, historical circumstances, bad management and greed cause the estate to decline and its sale becomes inevitable. Novelist Robert Craig (1900-1955) was born and lived in Glasgow. He had very strong connections with Argyllshire on his mother's side. In Campbell of Duisk he has written a significant and very readable Scottish novel. It is also an important piece of the history and literary history of Argyll. Campbell of Duisk and its author Robert Craig deserve to be more widely known.