Spelling and punctuation in quotations are as given in the sources, whether printed or manuscript.
Dates are also as given in the sources, without noting whether new style (used on the continent) or old style (ten days behind, used in England and Scotland).
Currency is always Scots currency, unless otherwise stated. The Scottish pound at the time was worth roughly one-twelfth of a pound sterling. The pound was divided into twenty shillings (abbreviation: “s.”) and a shilling into twelve pence (abbreviation “d.”). A merk was worth two-thirds of one Scottish pound.
Numbers in italics within round brackets in part one refer to entries in the catalogue in part two.
Spelling of authors’ names represented in Nairn’s library is consistent within part one and within part two, but may occasionally differ between the two parts.
Birth and death dates of people mentioned in part one are usually given on the first occurrence for post-600 A.D. figures. Of course, reference sources frequently disagree about exact dates. Pre-600 A.D. individuals are not given dates.