Catherine MacLeod (4 September 1914 – 7 May 2000), also known as Kitty MacLeod, and in Gaelic as Kitty NicLeòid, was a Scottish

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

singer and school teacher.

Biography

MacLeod was born to Scottish parents in Kasuali, India, 4 September 1914. Her mother, Anna MacLeod, was a school teacher, and her father, Kenneth MacLeod was a British soldier serving with the

Seaforth Highlanders The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, mainly associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The regiment existed from 1881 to 1961, and saw servic ...

during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. After Catherine MacLeod was born, her father went "missing in action" and Anna MacLeod moved with her daughter back to the

Isle Of Lewis The Isle of Lewis ( gd, Eilean Leòdhais) or simply Lewis ( gd, Leòdhas, ) is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. The two parts are frequently referred to as ...

in Scotland, where the young Catherine began her education at the Lionel School. Kenneth MacLeod reappeared two years afterwards, and recovered his faculties when he was brought back to Scotland and reunited with his daughter. Catherine MacLeod learnt

from her mother, but also from participating in local ceilidh gatherings in which people shared regional

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

. Her community at that time was largely monolingual. She then attended the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

via a scholarship. At University she won gold medals for Celtic and Moral philosophy, as well as the Elizabeth Hamilton Prize for the best woman student in philosophy. While studying, she participated at the singing competition of the

Royal National Mòd The Royal National Mòd ( gd, Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail) is an Eisteddfod-inspired international Celtic festival focusing upon Scottish Gaelic literature, traditional music, and culture which is held annually in Scotland. It is the largest ...

of 1936 in

Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...

and won the gold medal. MacLeod was a school teacher both in Scotland and England until she retired in 1974. During that time she also pursued a singing career, with early recordings with

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...

. She avoided the commercial industry, but continued to sing in concerts, such as the People's Festival Ceilidhs, which emerged from the

Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

. She was known for her recordings of ''An Aitearachd Àrd'' ("The high swelling of the sea") and ''Òran Chaluim Sgàire'', which she also composed. She also appeared in '' The Western Isles'', the first Scottish color documentary, and with her sister in the film ''

Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue ''Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue'' is a 1953 adventure film produced by RKO-Walt Disney British Productions which is about Rob Roy MacGregor. It was the last Disney film released through RKO Radio Pictures. Plot The film begins in the early 18th ...

''. MacLeod was married to Murdoch Dubh MacLennan and then to Ernest Renaud Lewtas Gregson.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:MacLeod, Catherine 1914 births 2000 deaths Scottish Gaelic singers People from the Isle of Lewis Alumni of the University of Edinburgh 20th-century Scottish women singers