The Books of Clanranald are two paper manuscripts that date to about the early 18th century. The books are written in Classical Gaelic, and are best known for their traditional account of the history of Clan Donald. The manuscripts are commonly referred to as the Red Book and the Black Book. The name "Red Book", however, may actually be a misnomer. Although Gaelic tradition on South Uist notes a "Red Book of MacMhuirich", it is uncertain whether this book is identical to the surviving manuscript. In fact, the manuscript may be partly derived from the red book of tradition. The name "Black Book" may have been coined in order to distinguish it from the so-called Red Book.