Scots
27 March 2024 (Scottish Book Trust)
According to the 2011 census, 1.5 million people in Scotland identified as Scots speakers, with a further 267,000 reporting that they could understand the language. After English, Scots was the most widely spoken and understood language across Scotland. UK-wide, more people self-reported as speaking Scots than either Gaelic (57,000) or Welsh (562,000), making Scots the UK’s most widely spoken minority language.
Despite this, there is often misunderstanding about the status of Scots as a language.
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17 March 2024 (The National)
A Doric bootcamp is to be held in a Scottish town this summer as part of a bid to help beginners get to grips with the language.
Dr Jamie Fairbairn, a Scots language teacher and head of humanities at Banff Academy, has helped to organise the programme and said it is “absolutely vital” to protect the language.
The course is due to take place in Portsoy and Fairbairn says the idea originated following a conversation with BBC Alba journalist Andreas Wolff.
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6 February 2024 (STV)
More than 120 teachers have signed up to a training course on embedding Scots language into the classroom.
The first-of-its-kind resource is set to be delivered by the Open University, with funding supplied by the Scottish Government.
The current cohort of teachers are from all across Scotland and specialise in different subjects.
Education secretary Jenny Gilruth is set to officially launch the course on Tuesday at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh.
Ms Gilruth said the course is an “important step” towards embedding and protecting the language in Scottish education.
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25 January 2024 (Scottish Book Trust)
Scottish Book Trust are gathering information on the types of Scots activities undertaken in classrooms across Scotland, as well as teacher views of the benefits of and barriers towards teaching Scots in classrooms today.
We would be grateful if you could help us by offering your insights into the Scots Language in the Classroom by completing our short survey, which should take about 15 minutes to complete. The survey is open until 5 February 2024.
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22 January 2024 (The National)
Holyrood has launched a call for views on a bill that would give Gaelic and Scots languages official status in Scotland.
The Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee are seeking views from the public as they begin to scrutinise the Scottish Languages Bill.
The legislation would change the status of Scots and Gaelic and change the responsibilities of both the Scottish Government and other public bodies to support the languages.
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15 January 2024 (Renfrewshire 24)
As Burns Night approaches, we celebrate not just Robert Burns’ poetry but also the wider heritage found in the Scots language.
With lively readings of Burns’ verses and traditional Scottish music, this spirited celebration highlights the importance of the Scottish language in preserving and expressing the unique identity and cultural richness of the nation.
Beyond language, music plays a paramount role in preserving a country’s traditions and songs can be incredible time-capsules that preserve a nation’s cultural heritage. The tradition of children in Scottish schools learning Scots songs is longstanding and embedded in Scottish culture, so much so that it is part of the Scottish school curriculum.
To celebrate all things Scots language ahead of Burns Night on 25th January, VisitScotland surveyed more than 1,000 Scottish adults to see exactly what their favourite Scots songs are, their memories of learning Scots songs in school, and whether they enjoyed their time learning Scots language songs as part of their schooling.
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21 December 2023 (Scottish Government)
The Scottish Government's Scottish Languages Bill is legislation to advance the status of, and provision for, the Gaelic and Scots languages.
This is a revision to four existing policies (the status of Gaelic & Scots; Gaelic Medium Education; Bòrd na Gàidhlig; the Scots language) and the creation of one new policy (Areas of Linguistic Significance).
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7 December 2023 (OU / Education Scotland)
We are launching the first ever Scots Language Masters-level teacher CPD programme for in-service teachers teaching at any level in a Scottish school. Hosted by the Open University in Scotland and designed and delivered by the OU in partnership with Education Scotland, this exciting new professional learning opportunity for Scotland’s teachers is now open for registration. There are 25 free places available for this online programme. These places for the first course cohort are funded by the Scottish Government.
The deadline to register and be one of the first 25 teachers to study the course for free is Monday 21st December. Notifications to confirm places will be issued on Tuesday 22nd. For those who either weren’t in the initial 25 for this year, or who already have CPD commitments for this academic year, you will be given priority for cohort 2 which will begin in the 2024-25 academic year.
Visit the course landing page for more information and the online registration form.
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Scots
30 November 2023 (Scottish Legal News)
Proposals to help the Gaelic and Scots languages prosper in the years ahead have been set out in legislation today, as Scotland marks St Andrew’s Day.
One of the proposals in the Scottish Languages Bill is the creation of new Areas of Linguistic Significance, which would give Gaelic communities a greater say in how the language is supported locally.
The bill also provides greater support for Gaelic medium education and strengthens and adjusts the functions of Bòrd na Gàidhlig to help it continue to contribute to the promotion of Gaelic.
It will also establish legislative protection for the Scots language.
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25 November 2023 (The Courier)
It is the language that Courier columnist and Scots language expert Alistair Heather once described as the “partially submerged language of a partially submerged nation”.
Scots, known as the “mither tongue” is spoken by over 1.5 million people in Scotland, principally in the lowlands and northern isles.
It’s been the language used by government, kings and courts in Scotland, as well as by poets and playwrights like Rabbie Burns and Rona Munro.
Yet in the latter half of the 20th century, Scots began to be seen as vulgar, or common, and has been denigrated as ‘slang’ or ‘ned speak’.
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12 November 2023 (Herald)
Rooted in the 9th century, for generations Orcadians have spoken with their unique dialect that for some outsiders, required a well-tuned ear to decipher. While within its expanse of islands, communities developed individual accents, making the Orkney Islands a rich tapestry of language and voice.
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10 November 2023 (Scottish Book Trust)
Book Week Scotland is an annual celebration of books and reading that takes place across the country. Book Week Scotland 2023 will take place 13–19 November.
Every year, Book Week Scotland ask people to share stories as part of our 'Scotland's Stories' campaign, and entries have been submitted in Gaelic and Scots as well as in English.
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3 November 2023 (BBC)
Councils could get the power to designate areas in which the Gaelic language could receive special support, BBC Naidheachdan understands. The Scottish government is expected to publish a new languages bill around St Andrew's Day later this month. The proposed legislation is also expected to include provisions to promote and protect the use of Scots.
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4 September 2023 (The Scotsman)
English has been Scotland’s main language since the 18th century, prior to that many people spoke ‘Scottish’ whether that was Scots or Gaelic [..] here is an overview of Scots and Scottish Gaelic that explains their differences, the heritage that underpins them and which is considered Scotland’s oldest living language.
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18 July 2023 (The National)
Nominations have opened for the 2023 Scots Language Awards, giving the public a chance to commend their personal Scots language heroes.
The awards ceremony will take place at Johnstone Town Hall, in partnership with Paisley.is, on Saturday, September 16, showcasing the best of Scots language and culture.
[..] The awards, which began in 2019, celebrate the importance of Scots language within arts and culture but also in daily life, education, and business. Nominations will close on Sunday 30 July.
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21 June 2023 (BBC)
The full Bible has been translated into the north east Scotland dialect of Doric after a man's 17-year project.
Gordon Hay began his epic scheme in 2006 with the New Testament while still working, and finished it six years later.
The now retired Aberdeenshire solicitor has now finished the Old - or Aul in Doric - Testament translation, which was about three times longer.
The text has been published and he said he was delighted at finishing.
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6 June 2023 (Scottish Book Trust)
Scottish Book Trust, together with Hands Up for Trad, Scots Hoose, Education Scotland and Scottish Government, are running a competition to find Scotland’s ‘Young Scots writer of the Year’.
Stories, poems, spoken word pieces, comics, videos or other pieces of writing – we want to see it all, as long as it's in Scots and under 2500 words or up to ten minutes.
The competition is open to 11-18 year-olds, and entries should be submitted by midday on Wednesday 21 June 2023.
Visit the Scottish Book Trust website for more information and submission guidelines.
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19 May 2023 (Scots Language Centre)
Scottish Book Trust, together with Hands Up for Trad, Scots Hoose, Education Scotland and Scottish Government, are running a competition to find Scotland’s ‘Young Scots writer of the Year’.
The competition is open to 11-18 year-olds, and entries should be submitted by midday on Wednesday 21 June 2023.
Visit the Scots Language Centre website for more information and submission guidelines.
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5 May 2023 (The Scotsman)
The influence of Celtic languages can still be felt in our world today. Place names in Scotland and even United States locations feature traces of languages like Scottish Gaelic and Pictish.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Celtic languages including Gaelic, Irish and Welsh will feature in King Charles’ coronation this week - after all he is the UK monarch and these Celtic tongues are tied to this land.
Sadly, this does not include all surviving Celtic languages such as Cornish or Manx, but it is a step in the right direction for inclusion in the languages’ heartlands.
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18 April 2023 (Scottish Poetry Library)
The Scottish Poetry Library seeks submissions to its talent development scheme for poetry writers aged 16 to 25 years. We are looking for poets and poetry that are unique, imaginative and bold – a lot like Scotland itself.
We will select five young makars in total: four poets writing in English or Scots, and a writer in Scottish Gaelic. A bursary of £500 will be made available to each poet to support their engagement with the programme.
Visit the Scottish Poetry Library website for more information and submit applications by 28 April 2023.
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30 March 2023 (Scottish Book Trust)
Scotland's Stories is an annual writing project which aims to encourage all types of people to share their experiences. Every year there's a different theme to help people write about their lives, their way. The theme for 2023 is Adventure.
This project is for everyone, even if you've never written before Scottish Book Trust would like to hear from you.
Entries can be in any format – a story, poem, comic strip, play or letter. Video and audio entries are also accepted.
Entries are welcome in Gaelic, Scots and English.
Visit the Scottish Book Trust website for more information.
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Research into Scots languages
2 March 2023 (UWS)
A fourth year primary education student at the University of the west of Scotland is carrying out research regarding Scots language in Scottish primary schools.
The purpose of this research is to gather information regarding how Scots is used within Scottish primary schools, as well as how teachers incorporate Scots language within the school and classroom. It will also explore teachers' attitudes to using Scots language within the school and classroom. Research is anonymous.
The student would be grateful to hear from any teacher who is able to complete the questionnaire, available through this link.
27 January 2023 (The Scotsman)
Scotland boasts a wealth of fascinating place names with their meanings rooted in Gaelic, Norse and Pictish, here are 10 examples that reveal this diversity of language across Scottish history.
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19 January 2023 (Scottish Book Trust)
Are you someone with stories to share? Or a teacher working with young writers we should know about? We're looking for our next Scots writer of the year.
Stories, poems, spoken word pieces, comics, videos or other pieces of writing – we want to see it all, as long as it's in Scots and under 2500 words or up to ten minutes. Open to Scots writers aged 11-18. Enter by 21 June 2023.
Read more...
11 December 2022 (The Herald)
The Herald has long backed Scottish writers, whether writing in Scots or 'standard' English. In recent years, young Scots poet and Herald columnist Len Pennie has popularised the language via her online Scots Word of the Day. And, of course, we run a Scots Word of the Week each Saturday from our friends at the Dictionaries of the Scots Language.
So we are delighted to get behind annual McCash Scots Poetry Competition, run jointly by The Herald and Glasgow University.
The contest celebrates our traditional language in all its forms, and aims to support it. This year a first prize of £200 and three runner-up prizes of £100 are to be won. Poets can submit material on any theme of their choice.
Read more...
2 December 2022 (The Herald)
I’m biased when it comes to the Scots language: I'm a speaker, educator and a massive nerd.
I acknowledge not everyone has the same level of passion when it comes to research and engagement, so they might not know much about the language and its cultural context.
This week, I've enlisted the help of an independent fact-checker, Ferret Fact Service (FFS), to look at the truth behind some common claims which endure about Scots.
I encourage everyone to form conclusions based on independently-verified information. If you do find yourself shifting perspective once seeing the facts, I applaud your open-mindedness.
I like to think of ignorance as an essential, yet temporary part of every learning journey, so whether you know nothing about Scots yet or you've already formed your own opinions, I hope this article can be of use to you.
Read more...
10 November 2022 (Scottish Book Trust)
The annual celebration of books and reading across the country takes place 14–20 November. During Book Week, people of all ages and walks of life come together to share the joy of reading.
This year's stories have been shared on the Scottish Book Trust website and a handful of their favourites compiled in a free book. With the event focusing on 'Scotland's Stories' you'll find several told in Scots and Gaelic.
Visit the Book Week Scotland website to discover the events taking place across the week and activities and resources to help you get involved.
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5 October 2022 (The National)
A “groundbreaking” language plan in Shetland should pave the way for Scots to “gain the foothold it deserves”, a linguistics expert has said.
Professor Viveka Velupillai told The National that the language plan for Shaetlan was “an important first step” in getting it and the macro Scots language stronger recognition.
In conjunction with Dr Beth Mouat, Velupillai has succeeded in getting the University of the Highlands and Islands Shetland board to sign up to the Shaetlan Language Plan.
It means that the variant of Scots will be used on signage and in learning environments in an effort to raise the profile of Shaetlan “locally, nationally, and internationally”.
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1 October 2022 (The Herald)
The last time I wrote an article about the Scots language, the comments were a bit of a mixed bag. A few people dropped by to announce that they didn’t think Scots was a language, which was nice of them, and almost half of comments were removed by the moderator for breaking community guidelines.
A surprising number of people asked why I was writing in English, which never happens when I write in Spanish or French. Indeed, I feel the need to personally apologise to the man who said that my columns for The Herald would cause the entire newspaper to collapse. I'm still getting used to my god-like powers of destruction and will try my absolute best not to ruin things while I'm here.
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27 September 2022 (Press and Journal)
Mearns Academy has been crowned Scots School of the Year in 2022 for its students work in keeping Doric Scots alive.
Renowned Scots author Lewis Grassic Gibbon grew up in the Mearns. His famous novel Sunset Song is partly set there and the Scots language features throughout.
The first lesson that Mearns Academy’s Rosie Bircham tries to teach her students is that Scots is a language in itself, and not just a dialect of English.
Her message resonated with one of her classes at Mearns Academy, who are now determined to get Scots back in the conversation.
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20 September 2022 (Maths Week Scotland)
Inspired by the annual Mathématiques sans Frontières contest, this mini-competition includes a language element and is for any class to complete together.
The challenge launches at the start of Maths Week Scotland on 26 September. Entries should be submitted by 22 October.
Visit the Maths Week Scotland website for more information.
Read more...
6 September 2022 (The Courier)
Scotland’s traditional culture music and arts organisation Hands Up For Trad have published the public’s nominees for 2022’s top Scots language champions.
The public now have until Sunday September 18 to see who’s set to take home the ultimate award in the sparkling ceremony on Saturday September 24.
Scots culture and language will be celebrated at Dundee’s Gardyne Theatre alongside performers including live music from Bath Malcom, Robyn Stapleton, poet Hamish MacDonald, and comedian Bruce Fummey.
The awards have recognised local heroes and teachers alongside well known celebrities such as comedian Janey Godley and singer Iona Fyfe.
All 12 prizes, plus the prestigious Janet Paisley Services to Scots Award, will be presented by social media star and poet Len Pennie and broadcaster and columnist Alistair Heather, and live streamed to international audiences.
Simon Thoumire of organisers Hands Up For Trad said: “I’m thrilled by the growth of our ongoing campaign for Scots Language, to be holding our live event in Dundee again, a community which has supported the campaign from day one, and at the calibre of this year’s brilliant nominees for the 2022’s Scots Language Awards.”
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26 August 2022 (The Herald)
Everyone has something that they’re really, really into. Some people like cars, or football, or yoga. I love the Scots language.
For the past 785 days, rain, hail or shine, I have made a Scots word of the day video online, where I explain the meaning and usage of one Scots word. I credit the Scots language with my career, my passion for language education and the protection of minority languages, and about 90% of my self-confidence.
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24 August 2022 (TES)
A new consultation aimed at ensuring the long-term growth of the Gaelic and Scots languages has been launched today by the Scottish government.
The consultation seeks views on how to raise the profile of Scots, a new strategic approach to Gaelic-medium education (GME) and the growth of areas with a high percentage of Gaelic speakers. The consultation also covers the structure and function of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the principal public body promoting Gaelic in Scotland.
The feedback received through the consultation will help to develop the forthcoming Scottish Languages Bill. The SNP promised in its 2021 Scottish Parliament election manifesto to bring forward “a new Scottish languages Bill which takes further steps to support Gaelic, acts on the Scots language and recognises that Scotland is a multilingual society”.
(Note - subscription required to access full article).
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20 August 2022 (The Scotsman)
In August 2002 Itchy Coo, an imprint dedicated to publishing books in Scots for young readers, launched its first four titles at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
Twenty years on, Itchy Coo has produced more than 80 titles, ranging from board books to graphic novels and collections of poems, fables, fairy tales and stories. The list includes many translations of works by the likes of Julia Donaldson, JK Rowling, Roald Dahl and Jeff Kinney.
As one of Itchy Coo’s founders as well as an editor and contributing author, I am of course pleased by the continuing success of the project. Not only has it put thousands of braw books into the hands of bairns, their families and their teachers, it has also challenged some deep-rooted negative perceptions of Scots, both within the education system and more generally across society.
This does not mean that the negativity − equating Scots with ‘slang’ or ‘bad English’, for example, or the vilification of individual writers or performers simply for using Scots − has entirely disappeared; nor does it mean that the loss of Scots vocabulary and idiom has not been substantial in many areas. Nevertheless, there are reasons to be hopeful.
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19 July 2022 (BBC)
A celebration of the centenary of a poet who wrote in three languages is being held in southern Scotland.
William Neill was born in Ayrshire in 1922 but lived in Dumfries and Galloway for much of his life.
A book of recollections, memories and tributes is being launched in Gatehouse of Fleet as part of the Big Lit festival on Thursday.
Poet Hugh McMillan said Mr Neill was not as well known as he deserved to be on the strength of his work in Scots, Gaelic and English.
Along with fellow poet Stuart Paterson, they have put together the book in his honour entitled The Leaves of the Years.
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27 June 2022 (Belfast Telegraph)
A new online series is exploring Ulster-Scots words and phrases and their influence on modern-day language.
In A Word In Yer Lug, broadcaster Jane Veitch and native Ulster-Scots speaker Liam Logan travelled throughout Northern Ireland to discuss the words used in our everyday vocabulary (and some that aren’t... yet).
“Most people use Ulster-Scots words every day, but they don’t necessarily recognise or understand them,” said Liam.
“Did you ever ‘footer’ with anything? That’s Ulster-Scots, but it’s got its roots in medieval French. The Scots had a great connection with the French back in the medieval times.
“All the Scottish people used to go to France for education, and all the rest of it. They brought that back from France and then they sent it over to us here in Ulster.”
With 20 short episodes, the web series is the ideal introduction to Ulster-Scots, showing the richness of the language.
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20 June 2022 (BBC)
George Orwell's classic novel Animal Farm is to be translated into Scots.
The book is one of nine titles to be published in the Scots language, with funding from the Scots Language Resource Network.
It has already been translated into Gaelic but this is the first time it will be able to be read in Scots.
Edinburgh publisher Luath Press said it believed Mr Orwell would have been pleased with the development for his work.
The publisher said: "We are very confident that Thomas Clark will create a superb rendering of the book in Scots, and that Orwell himself would have approved, given his comments on Scottish linguistic culture."
Orwell wrote his best-known work, 1984, while living on a farmhouse in Barnhill on the Island of Jura.
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8 May 2022 (The Travel)
If one goes to the United Kingdom - what language can one expect people to speak? The easy answer is of course English - and naturally, everyone speaks English there. But there are actually many languages in the British Isles. For the purposes of this article, we will include the British Crown Dependencies of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands - even though technically they are not part of the UK.
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1 May 2022 (BBC)
Poet Len Pennie has amassed millions of views and hundreds of thousands of followers for her Scots language videos on social media.
The 22-year-old linguistics student began posting a Scots word of the day on TikTok and Twitter in an attempt to stave off boredom during lockdown in 2020.
Some of her most popular videos - which have been a particular hit with American women - feature her poetry, such as The Hurcheon and Little Girls.
When comments first started coming in, she found that they were largely positive.
"At first there was a lovely range of people - people who knew Scots and people who didn't - and it felt nice to be a part of something," she said.
"It's no longer a boys club. It's not just Burns texts being passed about, there's a lot of women involved now too."
Len said she was surprised when she learned that the vast majority of her audience were women from America.
"I thought: 'That's great, because they're engaging in the culture' - but I wish I could engage the Scottish audience more."
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Writing projects and competitions
19 April 2022 (Scottish Book Trust)
The Scottish Book Trust currently has open projects and competitions for aspiring writers! Follow the relevant link below to find out more about each one:
- Young Scots Writer of the Year Award - Open to ages 11-18. Writing should be in Scots, whether you write a story, poem, play, song or make a short video.
- Your Stories: Scotland's Stories - Category for under-16s as well as adults. Write about real life experiences. Entries can be in any form you like – a story, poem, comic strip, play, video, audio file, or letter. Entries welcome in Gaelic, Scots and English.
Both competitions have deadlines in June 2022.
If you need some inspiration, try some of the creative tasks on the StoryCon webpage. StoryCon is Scotland's biggest creative writing and illustration conference for young people which returned in March this year. Recordings of events are available online for a limited time.
3 March 2022 (The Courier)
It’s census season! And I for one couldnae be happier.
I dinnae think I’ve every actually filled ane o these before.
In 2011 I was out the country, and in 2001 I was but a callow youth, so the census task would have been Mammy Heather’s job. So it’s a thrill to finally participate.
And I actually had a totty wee role in putting this census thegither.
In a previous job, I worked to promote Scots language and culture north of the Tay.
I was called into meetings in Aberdeen with the group charged with putting together the language part of the census.
There were perhaps a dozen of us.
The census folk all came up fae the central belt, and brought in myself (at the time I was working for Aberdeen University) and several others interested in the Scots language.
They had nae idea of the culture, language, tensions around Scots, the nuances of different dialects, none of that.
None of them were Scots speakers. But they were really curious, and open to learning.
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1 March 2022 (Aye Can)
As part of Scotland's Census 2022 everyone living in Scotland will be asked if they can understand Scots, speak Scots, read Scots and write Scots. We will also be asked what our main language is.
This website is designed to help you assess your knowledge of Scots and answer these questions.
Read more...
28 January 2022 (BBC)
Patients having MRI scans in Aberdeen can now hear the instructions in the north east Scotland dialect of Doric.
The University of Aberdeen's MRI scanner has undergone a £1.2m upgrade, including new software which offers multiple language options.
It is hoped hearing instructions in a familiar language will help patients feel more relaxed in what is a potentially stressful situation.
Experts think it could also help those with dementia.
Read more...
25 January 2022 (The Courier)
After 20 years south of the border I’m finally a resident of Scotland again and I was woefully unprepared for the boorie of emotions I’d experience hearing the weel kent expressions of my childhood.
Like this week, a friend looked her (knackered and white as a sheet) child up and down before declaring them peely-wally.
‘Pale’ or ‘a bit tired looking’ would have done. But neither hold quite the same descriptive power as a good old peely-wally.
It’s like a lingual gift passed down through the generations.
I mean, are you even loved if you haven’t been awarded the Scots’ for sickly looking?
I’m quite certain If ever I went missing as a child that’s how my granny would have described me to the polis.
Words, phrases and how we pronounce them trigger emotions.
In the same way chip-shop fare always takes me back to over-chlorinated Friday nights at Motherwell baths, followed by contraband vinegary fritters with my Papa, familiar expressions in the Scots language can transport me to the past.
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17 January 2022 (Daily Mail)
His poetry popularised the Scots language, introducing the world to auld lang syne, sleekit beasties and cutty sarks.
But Robert Burns was advised not to write in Scots by a friend who thought it would limit his audience, according to new research.
A project by academics at the University of Glasgow's Centre for Robert Burns Studies looked at letters to and from Scotland's national bard.
The team looked at some 800 letters written by Burns and around 300 to 400 letters from his friends and admirers - and have put together both sides of the letter correspondence where available.
They found that, in 1787, Dr John Moore advised the poet not to write in Scots, warning that London readers would not connect with it, though Burns ignored his suggestion.
Instead, evidence suggests he may even have written more verses in Scots after getting the advice.
Read more...
23 November 2021 (Scottish Book Trust)
We’re on the lookout for talented young folk aged 11–18 writing and creating in Scots.
Are you a Scots writer with stories to share? Or a teacher working with young writers we should know about? Enter the Young Scots Writer o the Year Award.
We’re looking for stories, poems, spoken word pieces, comics, videos or other pieces of writing – we want to see it all, as long as it’s in Scots and under 1000 words or five minutes.
Visit the Scottish Book Trust website for more information. Submissions accepted until 24 June 2022.
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20 November 2021 (The Herald)
The teachers who first taught me about Orkney language literature were themselves taught not to use it in school, sometimes through physical punishment. That was the case across Scotland for many folk who spoke dialects of Scots, from Buchan to Bathgate, and it's a familiar story of language suppression. Children who speak in ways not thought proper by power are made to feel uncertain of their own tongues.
As well as disconnecting us from our own history and literature, suppressing language can push many people out of education altogether. That Orcadian poems, stories and possibilities were still passed on to me as a child at school in the 90s was something language activists fought for, and I'll never stop being grateful for their work. Writers and community organisers kept the language alive, through work by authors like CM Costie and Robert Rendall, often forgotten in favour of their more famous Anglophone peers, and through dozens of other local publications.
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18 November 2021 (The Courier)
It has been described as essential reading for generations of Scots and Ulster Scots concerned with their identity.
A book that celebrates the Scots contribution to world literature through figures like Burns and RL Stevenson.
Now, 22 years after Scots: The Mither Tongue, was described as one of the best 100 Scottish books ever written, Newport-based author and Scots language expert Billy Kay has produced an audio version of his classic book.
Billy reveals that over many years people have have asked him why he had not recorded an audio version of this classic book.
Knowing what a huge undertaking it would be, he always cited time and other commitments as the main reasons.
The Covid-19 lockdown changed everything, however, so he finally decided to commit himself to making the historic recording.
“It’s historic, yes, because it will be the first time that iconic passages from the great Scots literary tradition have been recorded and made available in the one place,“ says Billy.
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29 October 2021 (Scottish Book Trust)
Book Week Scotland is an annual celebration of books and reading that takes place across the country. Book Week Scotland 2021 will take place 15–21 November.
There are events taking place to suit Scots and Gaelic speakers. Visit the Book Week Scotland website for more information.
Read more...
26 September 2021 (The National)
Scottish celebrities, artists, and speakers gathered in Dundee for the Scots Language Awards on Saturday.
The audience attended Broughty Ferry’s Gardyne Theatre for the first time since before lockdown.
They were treated to interviews with the winners of 13 awards, and writer, broadcaster and National columnist Alistair Heather hosted the evening.
Poet and social media star Len Pennie introduced live performances from Victoria McNulty, Anna Stewart, Cameron Nixon, Alison Miller, and Ellie Beaton. Public voting on the nominees was open from September 6 to 19 with a record number of votes cast.
The awards recognise the heroic efforts and work of the people and organisations who all champion Scots’ unique culture, music and words.
Cabinet Secretary for Scotland’s Languages Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “These awards demonstrate that Scots is a vital part of this country’s cultural identity, and it is crucial we encourage and nurture the creativity of those who speak the language.”
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16 September 2021 (The Doric Board)
The richness and diversity of the North East’s Doric culture is set to receive a funding boost, thanks to the launch of the Doric Board New Year Awards 2022.
The Doric Board has just opened up the third annual awards to applications from projects which celebrate the region’s exceptional heritage of Doric language, music, ballad, song, story, history, lore – and the creativity of those who live and work in the area.
Once again, grants of up to £1000 will be made available to applicants who reside in the North East to assist in the funding of projects which comply with the Board’s objectives - the promotion of the language, traditions and culture of the North-east of Scotland.
The scheme is part of the founding aim of the Doric Board and was created with the support of the Scottish Government to develop and support a sustainable, dynamic future for Doric as a vibrant language.
The Doric Board (North-East Tradition and Language - NETAL) aims to be a powerful voice for social and economic regeneration, and a driver towards a national Scots language board. Earlier this year, it also spearheaded the first annual Doric Phrase Week which used the power of online and social media technology to get the public on board and submit favourite phrases and anecdotes which were shared a sizeable, global audience.
Commenting on the launch of the 2022 Doric Board New Year Awards, Doric Board chair Frieda Morrison said: “The lengths our applicants went to in realising their projects this year and last year are a clear illustration of the unwavering support which exists for the language and culture.
“We hope that the launch of the 2022 New Year Awards will inspire applications which represent the wealth of pride and passion there is for Doric, and we are excited to see the diverse range of projects which might benefit from our help.”
Applications should be emailed to The Doric Board by 12th December 2021. Funds will be made available to successful applicants the in mid-January 2022.
To find out more, visit the website at www.doricboard.com or email info@doricboard.com.
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10 August 2021 (The National)
A global browser has become the first major software available in the Scots language.
Users will now be able to select the new language option in Mozilla Firefox thanks to an Edinburgh-based company.
The project, led by localization provider Rubric, seeks to promote the language and will be available for users from August 10.
Recognition of the Scots language has grown recently in Scottish schools, parliament, and on social media. However, speakers have had limited options for software in their own language.
Rubric hopes that this new language option will change that by allowing learners and fluent speakers to browse the web in Scots.
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2 June 2021 (Scottish Book Trust)
Friday 4 June is our #giesascotsphraseday day and we are looking for folks to:
- Try Scots if they haven’t spoken it before and
- Get speakers to video / record themselves saying their favourite Scots phrase and upload to social media with the hashtag #giesascotsphraseday.
We have a website for beginners www.giesascotsphraseday.com
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Doric Phrase Week Resounding Success
24 May 2021 (The Doric Board)
A brand-new initiative which celebrates the language of the North East of Scotland has been hailed as a resounding success – and plans are already well underway to repeat the venture in 2022.
The recent inaugural Doric Phrase Week was spearheaded by The Doric Board as part of its mission to energise public appreciation of the region’s exceptional heritage of Doric language, music, ballad, song, story, history, lore, and the creativity of those who live and work in the area.
Using the power of online and social media technology, the public got on board the Doric Phrase Week project by submitting favourite phrases and anecdotes with the flood of contributions from at home and abroad exceeding expectations. Submissions were shared for others to enjoy and attracted a sizeable, global audience.
The Doric Board comprises a group of enthusiastic, volunteer members with a shared passion for the spirit, identity and relevance of Doric in the past, present and future. The Doric Board is supported by The Scottish Government and in 2019 it appointed its first-ever Makar, renowned poet, novelist, story writer, storyteller and singer Sheena Blackhall BSc, Dip Ed, M Litt. It is also responsible for the Doric Board New Year Awards which, this year, gave funding boosts of up to £1000 to 15 cultural and heritage projects across the North East of Scotland.
Commenting on the success of the first Doric Phrase Week, Doric Board chair Frieda Morrison said: “We originally planned this as a one-day celebration and, due the wealth of material waiting in the wings, it quickly became apparent that we needed to stretch it to a whole week.
“Contributors ranged in age from four to 100 years, underlining the intergenerational appeal of Doric and its ability to unite through language towards the creation of a sustainable, dynamic future for Doric as a vibrant language.
“Plans are now well ahead for The Doric Board’s next Doric Phrase Week which will take place in April 2022 and we look forward to using it as another important platform to explore the richness and diversity of the language.”
To find out more visit The Doric Board or email The Doric Board.
14 May 2021 (Scottish Book Trust)
Young people aged 11-18 are invited to write a Scots story, poem, play or make a short video inspired by the Scots phrase 'Lang may yer lum reek'. Your story must be in Scots and under 500 words (or five minutes).
Visit the Scottish Book Trust website for more information about the competition and enter by Wednesday 18 August, midday.
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5 March 2021 (The Scotsman)
An award-winning singer has claimed victory in her campaign to persuade music industry giants Spotify to recognise Scots as a language.
Iona Fyfe, from Huntly, in Aberdeenshire, has persuaded Spotify to create a Scots listing after writing an open letter to the company in December which was widely shared on social media.
She noticed Scots was the only minority language in Britain to be omitted by the streaming giant’s site, which had listings for Scottish and Irish Gaelic, Manx, Cornish and Welsh.
The case was raised in the Scottish Parliament by SNP MSP Clare Adamson who wrote to Spotify boss Daniel Ek to press for a change.
The 23-year-old also tackled a Spotify editor, Laura Ohls, on the issue when she attended a virtual music industry convention last month.
Ohls later wrote to Fyfe to tell her that Scots had been added to the platform – just days before she was due to release a new single, The Wild Geese, today.
Spotify told her: “We can’t thank you enough for flagging to us and thank you for your patience in us getting this addressed.”
In her open letter, the former Scots Singer of the Year, said: “Scots is not a technical tool or feature, it is a recognised language in which people speak and sing in. A language that people release music in.”
Read more...
31 January 2021 (The Courier)
Michael Alexander speaks tae twa weel-kent faces fae Dundee’s cultural scene – Alistair Heather and Sheena Wellington – who have launched free online sessions helping participants develop their understanding of Dundee’s Scots language.
For Dundee born and bred traditional singer Sheena Wellington, the Scots language has always been an important part of life.
Coming from a family of weavers, the 76-year old former Blackness Primary and Harris Academy pupil was brought up in a Dundee Scots speaking household.
Yet despite being surrounded by her Dundee Scots speaking father, grannies and aunts at home, she vividly remembers being discouraged from speaking her mither tongue in school.
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11 January 2021 (The Scotsman)
BBC Scotland has launched a variety of programmes and resources for school pupils across Scotland as the country begins home school learning today.
The broadcaster is offering TV programmes on BBC Scotland from 10 am this morning for primary and secondary school pupils across the country.
The educational programmes will be on week days and will last till around 11.30 am- 12 pm most days.
As well as a catch-up service for missed programmes, there will also be ‘Stories in Scots’ available via the BBC Scotland website and via BBC Sounds.
Read more...
25 November 2020 (Press and Journal)
With voices changing every 20 miles, it’s difficult to quantify exactly how many dialects come under the Scots language umbrella.
But a rough count suggests lucky number 13, divided up as Orkney, Shetland, Caithness, Black Isle, Moray, Aberdeenshire, South Northern (South Kincardineshire and Northern Angus), North-East Central, East Central, West Central, South Central, Boarders and Ulster (yep, Scots made it over the water to Ireland too with Irish Gaelic).
Inverness and the Outer Hebrides may seem curiously absent from this list. But as these regions were predominantly Gaelic speaking areas, the Scots language didn’t take hold with the same intensity, meaning there’s no specific Scots dialect recorded for these regions – though we have included them on the map here for comparison.
The article also includes links to other features in the Spikkin Scots series.
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30 October 2020 (TES)
Student Len Pennie – better known online as Miss Punny Pennie – has become an internet star with videos that share a Scots language word of the day. One of her most popular videos, in which she recites her poem I'm No Havin' Children (see below), has been viewed nearly 250,000 times on Twitter.
Here are her four top tips for using Scots in school.
(Subscription required to access full article).
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28 October 2020 (Scottish Book Trust)
Book Week Scotland is an annual celebration of books and reading, supported by Creative Scotland and SLIC. This year's Book Week Scotland will be taking place from 16 to 22 November 2020.
The programme of events is now available. All are taking place online and whilst most are free to attend, the events are ticketed so make sure you book in advance.
As always, there's a selection of readings and events which will appeal to linguists. This year's collection of stories and poems on the subject of Future contains entries in Scots and Gaelic and the e-book is now available to download. For younger learners you can always access the Authors on Demand session exploring The Gruffalo in Scots and Gaelic.
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30 September 2020 (The Scottish Sun)
Author Robin Crawford has charted 1,000 uniquely Scots words that have been used from the era of Robert Burns to the modern world of Twitter.
The 56-year-old, from Auchtermuchty, Fife, wanted to record both old and new language that is still in everyday use for his new book Cauld Blasts and Clishmaclavers.
And he also set out to highlight the different regional phrases used around Scotland.
He said: “Many people use the word ‘rovies’ for slippers whereas in Fife I would say ‘baffies’. But every region, in fact probably every family, has their own words. That’s what helps make Scots so vibrant.
“We may all be Jock Tamson’s Bairns but we don’t necessarily speak the same words.”
Robin also believes the phrases of The Big Yin are just as important as the verse of The Bard.
Read more...
25 September 2020 (Scots Radio)
Plans have been unveiled for the return of the acclaimed Doric Film Festival – with some exciting developments set to be implemented for the second event.
Following the runaway success of the first two Doric Film Festivals, the second annual event is now inviting entries until November 1st and is asking applications to create a film around the theme: “Jist Faar I Bide.”
This time around, a total of nine awards will be spread equally across three categories, namely individuals, schools and community groups. Each will receive £500 towards the cost of producing a five-minute film which will be screened during an online event in spring 2021.
The much-lauded Doric Film Festival, which is supported by the Scottish Government, took the North East by storm during its inaugural event in 2019. It is the idea of award-winning Scots Radio Director Frieda Morrison who created the unique platform to celebrate the Doric language and its cultural identity.
Commenting on plans for this year’s Doric Film Festival, Frieda Morrison said: “Ongoing restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic have prompted a change of format for this event, and we hope that the changes will encourage even more people to get even more creative in support of the Festival.
“In previous years we have been heartened by the quality and diversity of entries and we are sure that the judges have a hard task ahead of them again this year.”
To find out more, visit www.doricfilmfestival.com or www.scotsradio.com
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11 September 2020 (Scots Language Awards)
Celebrate Scots culture and language with the nation’s favourite icons at the 2020 Scots Language Awards online on Saturday 24 October at 8pm.
Awards will be presented in 11 categories. Visit the website for more information and to submit your nominations.
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3 June 2020 (The Story Is)
Could you be Young Scots Writer of the Year 2020? Enter our fantastic competition for young people aged 11-18 to write a poem, a story, a play or a song in the Scots language.
Visit the website for more information about the competition and submit entries by 24 June 2020.
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25 May 2020 (PowerLanguage)
Pupils in Scotland have been using their language skills to produce some quality videos. Take a look at these podcasts made by learners, for learners. Why not take up the challenge in your school?
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26 April 2020 (The National)
The Scots language is the source of many of the first words we hear. Bairn. Greet. Bonnie. For many of us it is the language of those we love most, those who raised us, who taught us about the world. The tongue of couthy grannies, freenly neebors, loving parents. It’s the language of funny rhymes an sangs like Ally Bally Bee an the Three Craws.
For a huge number of us it is the language of childhood but for almost as many it is not the language of adulthood. When we go to school, Scots switches to English. Scots has its place in the playground but not in maths or chemistry. So we store away so many great words – shoogle, bahookie, fankle, haver – that mean so much to us but that we seldom get to use.
Scots is the language of 1.5 million of us, about 30% of the population. In entire chunks of the country – the Borders, Shetland, the north-east – it is the everyday language of the clear majority. But there are many more areas of Scotland, particularly urban areas, where Scots is strictly socially policed. And across the nation as a whole, Scots remains almost entirely absent from classrooms, from publicly funded media and from the business of government.
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24 April 2020 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland's latest news digest is now available to view online. This edition includes resources available to support schools and parents during closures, information about new Gaelic Bookbug stories and the Young Scots Writer of the Year Competition.
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17 April 2020 (Edinburgh Evening News)
Even if you don’t hail from this country, chances are you’ll be aware of some Scots words – the success of shows such as Outlander and films like Trainspotting, Brave, and Sunshine on Leith to name but a few have brought the language to even greater prominence.
This quiz, comprising 25 questions, asks you to define several words or phrases commonly used in Scotland.
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15 April 2020 (The Scotsman)
Though English is the first language in Scotland, Scots and Gaelic have both played a vital part in shaping everyday language often used by citizens of Scotland up and down the country.
From everyday turns of phrase to cutting insults, Scottish slang is capable of being both poetic and humorous.
Here’s a starter glossary of essentials for anyone new to Scotland or anyone looking to reacquaint themselves with Caledonian colloquialisms.
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30 March 2020 (Daily Record)
Paige told her Milton Keynes man 'Naw, it's a piece, like a sandwich' as she educated him on the intricacies of the Scots language while the pair remain on lockdown in West Lothian.
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16 March 2020 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland has a fantastic competition for young people aged 11-18 to write a poem, a play, or a song in Scots Language. The competition is run in partnership with Scottish Book Trust, Scottish Government, Scots Hoose and Hands up for Trad.
Visit the competition website for more details and submit entries by Wednesday 24 June 2020.
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20 February 2020 (The Press and Journal)
Passengers on CalMac ferries will be treated to a performance which celebrates the waters surrounding the Western Isles and the people who travel on them.
With the help of local communities and world class artists, Ferry Tales will bring a musical tale, told using English, Gaelic, and sign language, to three of Scotland’s major ferry routes.
Travellers from Oban to Craignure, Ullapool to Stornoway and Wemyss Bay to Rothesay will all have the chance to enjoy the show. Ferry Tales will feature songs by Scottish folk singer Josie Duncan, who is originally from Lewis and known for songs in Gaelic, Scots and English.
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14 February 2020 (Aye Write, Wee Write)
As part of Glasgow's wider Aye Write annual book festival, Wee Write is specifically aimed at children and young people.
Award winning authors, Wee Write favourites and brand new faces will bring books alive at The Mitchell Library and inspire a lifelong love of reading in children. All schools are able to book sessions at the event with Glasgow schools receiving a discounted admission. This year's Wee Write event for schools runs from 2 - 6 March, with a family day also being held on Saturday 7 March.
There are several Scots and Gaelic sessions to be enjoyed and schools can book story sessions at local libraries in a range of foreign languages.
Visit the Wee Write website for more information and booking details.
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29 January 2020 (Daily Record)
An Uddingston girl set the internet on fire this week with her hilarious rendition of a well-known Scots poem.
Youngster Amari Tade has amassed over 460,000 views online after her mum, Lindsay, uploaded the clip of the seven-year-old practising the role of the dad in Scots language poem ‘A Dug, A Dug’ by Bill Keys.
Amari, whose dad is former professional football player Gregory Tade, was tasked with learning the poem off by heart for a school recital as part of their Burns Day celebrations.
And the pupil took the internet by storm with her cute reactions to her mum, who reads the part of the child who pesters their dad for a ‘dug’.
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27 January 2020 (The Scotsman)
The decision to make Gaelic the default language in the early years of primary education on the Western Isles should be an inspiration to speakers of Scots, writes Alistair Heather.
The news that Gaelic will now become the default first language of education in Na h-Eileanan Siar is a remarkable positive step. It is policy reacting to a community preference for teaching to be conducted in the native language of the area. It has taken years of grassroots activism and pressure to bring this change to pass.
For those 1.5 million of us that speak Scots in Scotland, and especially those in Scots heartlands, we should learn lessons from this Hebridean development and apply them very quickly to Scotland’s other indigenous spoken minority language.
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24 January 2020 (The Scotsman)
While we’re celebrating the legacy of world-famous Scots language speaker Rabbie Burns tomorrow, it’s also a time to celebrate the many firsts that have taken place for the Scots language recently, and to celebrate its bright future.
Twinty nineteen wis a year o firsts fir Scots language...
There was the first Doric Film Festival, the first Scots Gaitherin conference, the first Scots Language Awards, and, of course, the first, free to all, 40-hour introductory course on Scots language and culture was launched by The Open University.
The first digital map of Scots place names was launched by the Deputy First Minister and the first Scottish Government Scots Publication Grant saw support going to many publishers to put out new work in Scots.
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7 January 2020 (Into Film)
Into Film are hosting fantastic FREE Scots Language Events this month in Edinburgh, Dumfries and Aberdeen. Enjoy a screening of the Highway Rat followed by a reading of the story in Scots by a special guest.
Visit the website now to secure your place - tickets are going fast!
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2 January 2020 (The Guardian)
Almost double the number of people in Scotland who already speak Scottish Gaelic have signed up to learn the language on the popular free platform Duolingo in over a month, concluding a proliferation in courses, prizes and performance in Gaelic and Scots during 2019, as younger people in particular shrug off the “cultural cringe” associated with speaking indigenous languages.
The Duolingo course, which was launched just before St Andrew’s Day on 30 November and looks likely to be the company’s fastest-growing course ever, has garnered more than 127,000 sign-ups – 80% from Scotland itself, compared with just over 58,000 people who reported themselves as Gaelic speakers in the 2011 Scottish census.
And last month, the Open University Scotland launched a free online course – which has already attracted nearly 7,000 unique visitors from the UK, US, Canada and Australia – that teaches the Scots language in the context it is spoken, as well as highlighting its role in Scottish culture and society.
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30 December 2019 (Evening Telegraph)
A new interactive map created by the University of Glasgow has revealed how and where the Scots language is used across the country.
The webpage aims to record and revitalise the ancient Scots tongue, with the website showing which areas in Scotland share the same lingo, expressions and colloquialisms.
Scots Syntax Atlas boasts recordings of true Scots sharing commonly-used phrases and words. The map shows which phrases are used where, explains the history behind some sayings and even has interactive examples of locals speaking in their mother tongue.
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16 December 2019 (The Times)
Northeast Scotland is to get its own poet laureate to promote the region’s native tongue. Sheena Blackhall, a writer and linguist, has been named as the first Doric makar.
For decades it was forbidden in schools and derided as slang but now Doric, or northeast Scots, spoken from Montrose in Angus to Nairn in the Highlands, has official recognition alongside English and Gaelic.
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8 December 2019 (The National)
Last week saw extraordinary explosion of interest in Gaelic learning on Duolingo – the world’s largest language learning platform. It has attracted about 65,000 learners in five days.
Ciaran Iòsaph MacAonghais – a primary teacher from Fort William and co-creator of the Scottish Gaelic Duolingo course told us: “Previously, there were around 5500 learning Gaelic in Scotland and we have already raised this number significantly and hopefully it will continue to rise in the coming weeks and months.
‘‘There is no single solution that will save the Gaelic language. Much more needs to be done to support native speakers in Gaelic speaking communities, but having a high profile starting point for learning is still a powerful thing. In a small language community like this, every speaker makes a real difference.”
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5 December 2019 (Press and Journal)
The north-east of Scotland is home to an unmatched heritage of music, song, and story, history and folklore, and the creativity of the people who live and work here.
A significant part of this inheritance, and one which runs through all the others, is north-east Scots, often known as ‘Doric’ in the northern and western parts of our region, and by many other names as well – Mearns, Toonser, Aiberdeen, Fisher Doric, Buckie, oor tongue, spikkin, and more.
For well over a century, North-East children arriving in school would be taught, and at times coerced, to ‘talk’ as opposed to ‘spik’.
To ‘spik’ meant to use the language of family, hearth, and home, while English was thought to be the way to get ahead in the world.
This language of home and family is part of people’s character, world view, and wry sense of humour.
But it is less used in the more formal walks of life and we don’t hear enough north-east voices in the media, in civic life, and in our schools.
But the language of home, it turns out, is what’s needed for real progress, and real progress is not just about exams and university.
No, real progress is raising children who have confidence in themselves, their language, and in their communities.
[..] But Doric is not just for native speakers. In fact, some of the best pupils doing Scots/Doric at Banff Academy are from outwith Scotland and they’ve picked up the language in no time at all.
Language is a great way to build bridges across communities and with people from other parts of the world.
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5 December 2019 (BBC)
A free online course has been developed that teaches the Scots language in the context it is spoken.
Developed by The Open University (OU) and Education Scotland, the course also highlights the role of the language in Scottish culture and society.
It takes about 40 hours to complete, and aims to boost understanding of Scots and its history.
The creators hope the course will be used in the classroom by teachers and other educators.
The Scots Language Centre defines Scots as the national name for Scottish dialects that are known collectively as the Scots language.
The new course will be split into two parts, with the first now available on the OU's OpenLearn Create platform.
The second part is expected to be online by the end of the month.
Sylvia Warnecke, OU senior lecturer in languages, said Scots was growing in popularity.
She said: "It feels right to show how as a language it has developed over time as a vital aspect of Scottish culture and history, and how it links to other European languages."
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30 November 2019 (The Herald)
We live in challenging times but do not despair. The Scots language in all its colourful glory will come to the rescue. Fed up with the political chaos? Call it a boorach and you’ll feel much better. Sick of the TV debates? Have a shout at the bunch of blellums and all their mince.
And if you want more, try this extract from the new book 100 Favourite Scots Words. For over a decade, The Herald has published the Scottish Language Dictionaries’ Scots Word of the Week and the new book gathers some of the best. The words demonstrate the breadth and diversity of the Scots language. And who knows, they might just get you through the election.
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25 November 2019 (Sunday Post)
She has become one of the most iconic children’s characters of all time. And now Peppa Pig has developed a Scots twang.
Peppa’s Bonnie Unicorn – translated into Scots by school librarian Thomas Clark – has just hit the shelves, and it’s expected to be a Christmas best seller.
Scottish Borders-based Thomas, 39, who works at Hawick High School, has already translated Jeff Kinney’s best-selling Diary of a Wimpy Kid. His version won the Scots Language Awards Scots Bairns’ Book of the Year accolade last month.
Realising there was little Scots literature for younger children, he decided to tweak Peppa’s dialect.
Thomas, a member of Oor Vyce, which lobbies the Scottish Government to promote Scots language, said: “There are lots of Scots book translations for teenagers, like Harry Potter and Roald Dahl, but I noticed there’s nothing for pre-school kids, which is really the generation we should be promoting Scots to.
“Peppa was the obvious choice as she’s one of the biggest icons for that age group. Mention Peppa to any four-year-old and they’ll fall over themselves with excitement.”
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20 November 2019 (BBC)
A word that is commonly used to describe the Scottish weather has been named the "most iconic" Scots word.
"Dreich" - meaning dull or gloomy - topped a poll to mark Book Week Scotland, led by the Scottish Book Trust.
It beat off contenders including "glaikit", "scunnered" and "shoogle".
The charity said the first recorded use of the word "dreich" was in 1420, when it originally meant "enduring" or "slow, tedious".
A total of 1,895 votes were cast in the annual poll.
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17 November 2019 (The National)
THERE a wheeshit renaissance in literacy gaun on in Scotland the noo. Whither hit’s the floorishin o online sel-publishin thro social media, or fae the wullfu push tae fling aff the dreid “Scottish cultural cringe” oor Scots langage is getting taen fae ben the hoose an pit oot in public ance mair. Ae hing aboot wir Scots langage is oor unique vocabulary o wirds, an fir Book Week Scotland (November 18-24) Scottish Book Trust’ll annoonce the result o their iconic Scots wird vote on Thursday 21 November, via their social media channels.
Scots is the langage maist relatit tae the English langage. Hit’s near eneuch tae English, as a maitter o fack, thit fae the echteent century there a strang unitit effort fir tae hae fowk “spikk proper”.
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8 November 2019 (TES)
More than 1.5 million people said they spoke Scots in the 2011 census, and now this language is enjoying a resurgence in the classroom. The learning benefits are immense, writes Kirsty Crommie.
There are thought to be more than 7,000 languages spoken across the world, with many more not yet known outside the small communities in which they are spoken. Around 330 are spoken in Europe and more than 2,000 in Asia. Over 850 languages are spoken within Papua New Guinea alone (Miaschi, 2017) and, within the thousands of languages spoken worldwide, there are countless dialects and regional variations, rich in vocabulary and sounds.
Language lets us share, discover and make connections. But it is also a representation of culture and identity, and it symbolises the incredibly diverse world in which we live – so, with 75 per cent of the world’s population not speaking English, it is imperative that we encourage the learning of languages throughout school.
And this must include the Scots language: by studying our minority languages, such as Scots, we are celebrating our diverse and fascinating linguistic heritage, as we should.
In primary schools across Scotland, at least one additional language is being taught. The Scottish government’s 1+2 model for languages has a target of ensuring that by 2021, every Scottish school will offer children one additional language from P1 and a second from P5; many schools are well on their way to meeting that goal.
It is a target that is not without its challenges: staff must receive relevant training if they are to effectively deliver the teaching of a language of which they may have little or no experience. But the benefits are such that these challenges must be overcome.
Curriculum for Excellence: Modern Languages Experiences and Outcomes clearly lays out the benefits. Not only are literacy skills enhanced, but pupils learning a new language will also:
- Gain a deeper understanding of their first language and appreciate the richness and interconnected nature of languages.
- Enhance their understanding of their own and other languages and gain insights into other cultures.
- Develop skills that they can use and enjoy in work and leisure throughout their lives.
The benefits apply just as much to children learning minority languages. In Scotland, there are three native languages: English, Scots and Gaelic. While English is the most common, more than 1.5 million people said they spoke Scots in the 2011 census, while over 57,000 said they spoke Gaelic.
A number of schools exist to provide teaching and learning through Gaelic, particularly in the areas where it is spoken most, but the teaching of Scots is generally left to schools and teachers with an interest in and enthusiasm for Scots, although some have opted to include Scots as part of their 1+2 approach.
(Note - subscription required to access full article)
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3 November 2019 (Grampian Online)
Entries are being sought for an annual Scots language writing competition.
The Keith branch of the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland are looking for entries for the Charles Murray Writing Competition, which encourages the passing down of the Scots language from generation to generation.
The competition was launched to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Charles Murray, an Alford-born poet, and is now into its sixth year.
Work entered into the competition can be prose or poetry and can be written about anything – but has to be in Scots. The competition is open to anyone, of any age, but must be written by two or more people of different generations – for example mother and daughter or grandfather and grandson.
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25 October 2019 (The Daily Record)
Do you ken what the most iconic Scots word is? If not, dinnae get yourself in a fankle, you soon will.
A panel organised by the Scottish Book Trust have whittled our favourite Scots words to 30. And now the public have the chance to vote for them.
Tying in with A Year of Conversation and the International Year of Indigenous Languages, the public were invited to submit iconic Scots words through the charity’s social media channels and website. More than 200 words were nominated, from various dialects such as Doric, Shetlandic, Dundonian and Glaswegian.
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23 October 2019 (Scottish Book Trust)
Book Week Scotland is an annual celebration of books and reading that takes place every November. The programme for this year's Book Week Scotland has just been launched. The programme includes workshops, poetry and storytelling sessions in Gaelic and Scots for both adults and children.
Visit the website to find out about events and activities taking place near you.
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14 October 2019 (The Herald)
THE SNP's conference has called for the creation of a new quango to boost the use of the Scots language.
Delegates voted to explore the idea of a Scots Language Board – or "Board fir the Scots Leid" – similar to Bòrd na Gàidhlig, which promotes Gaelic.
They called for Scots to be more widely taught, learned and promoted as part of Scottish public life, and noted the "years of linguistic prejudice" it has suffered.
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29 September 2019 (The Scotsman)
Writers, broadcasters, singers, poets and schools have been honoured at the first ever Scots Language Oscars, in the latest addition to the nation’s traditional arts and culture calendar.
The event, which saw 11 awards presented at the Mitchell Theatre in Glasgow, was launched to coincide with the United Nations’ International Year of Indigenous Languages initiative.
The new Scots Language Awards celebrate the country’s original tongue, which dates back around 1,400 years and is thought to have been spoken by almost a third of the population.
The event, backed by arts agency Creative Scotland, the Scottish Government and the Scots Language Centre, has been instigated by Hands Up for Trad, who are also behind the BBC Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year contest, which has been staged for the last 20 years, and the Scots Trad Music Awards, which were launched in 2003.
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20 September 2019 (The Scotsman)
An interactive map showing place names in Scots has been launched as part of a drive to raise awareness about the language.
The digital map allows people to view the original Scots names for cities, towns and villages such as Glesca/Glescae for Glasgow, Embra/Edinburrae for Edinburgh and Thirsa for Thurso.
Part of the site will allow users to submit more local names to be included on the map. The Scots Language Centre (SLC) will research the suggestions before deciding whether to add them.
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20 September 2019 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland is proud to be sponsoring the Young Scots Speaker Award at the Scots Language Awards 2019. Winners will be unveiled at a ceremony in Glasgow on 27 September.
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19 September 2019 (Maths Week Scotland)
As part of Maths Week Scotland, pupils of all ages can participate in the 'Maths wi nae borders' competition, which requires students to respond to one of the questions in either Gaelic or Scots.
The competition is inspired by 'Mathématiques sans frontières'. North Lanarkshire Council, the University of the West of Scotland and Heriot Watt University work together to encourage young language learners to apply their knowledge in a Maths setting.
This stimulating and light-hearted competition for secondary schools combines Maths and Modern Languages and aims to motivate pupils in both their Maths and Language Learning. The first question requires an explanation in a foreign language.
Teachers look out for the e-mail inviting you to take part in 'Mathématiques sans frontières' in January 2020.
Meanwhile get your classes involved this Maths Week in the 'Maths wi nae borders' competition. Entry deadline 18 October 2019.
Visit the website for more information.
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16 September 2019 (BBC)
A Scots language poem has won the international Wigtown Poetry Prize for the first time.
Shiftin, by Mhairi Owens, saw off entries from the USA, China, Canada and Ecuador for the £1,500 award.
This year the prize was opened up to entries in Scots, English and Gaelic for the first time.
Ms Owens, from Anstruther, who tutors in creative writing at the University of St Andrews, said she was delighted to be told she had won the award.
"It's literally a slim wee poem, but uses some very beautiful and unique Scots words and phrases," she said.
"It's right that many of us who use Scots in our everyday communication should use it in our poetry."
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6 September 2019 (The Scotsman)
It’s aggressive without effort, with a few simple phrases able to send someone on their way. The Scots language was the country’s original tongue, dating back 1,400 years ago, and at one time Scots was the national language of Scotland, spoken by Scottish kings, and was used to write the official records of the country. Now the Scots language becomes a point of pride with some people, using words that - outside of some regions of Scotland - have never been heard. The opening of the Scottish Twitter exhibition in Edinburgh this August was a showcase of how funny an insult in Scots can be. With the ability to deliver a well timed insult viewed as almost an art form, by using some of these simple phrases, you’ll never be left tongue tied with a red face.
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28 August 2019 (TES)
As educators, we are used to teaching our pupils in English. Sometimes we may use French or Spanish, consolidating our learning of these languages into our daily routine. But how often do we teach in or teach through Scots?
Every January, as we celebrate the life of Robert Burns, children across Scotland busily and eagerly learn a Scots poem ready to recite to their peers – but for many learners that is it.
Could we, and should we, be doing more?
In the 2011 census, over 1.5 million people self-identified as being able to speak Scots. With a language that is spoken that widely, shouldn’t we extend our teaching of Scots beyond a once-a-year celebration?
The Scots language is part of our culture and heritage and by teaching Scots – beyond dipping our toe in to celebrate Burns night – we are recognising and placing value on the diverse language and vocabulary that many pupils bring with them to school.
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23 August 2019 (The Courier)
For the first time, the Dunfermline arts festival, which runs from September 3 to 8, is launching a new strand of Gaelic and Scots events.
The main event is on the ball for Gaelic and non-Gaelic speakers alike.
With regular appearances on BBC Scotland and BBC Alba the Gaelic voice of shinty and football, Hugh Dan MacLennan, is presenting an event in partnership with Dunfermline Athletic FC.
The two-hour interactive workshop at East End Park is for anyone who watched football on Gaelic TV channel, BBC Alba and wondered what on earth was going on.
The session will be delivered in English, and will give the participants the opportunity to learn key phrases used in commentating as well as some they can use at their next match.
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14 August 2019 (Daily Record)
Two Galloway writers are among nine scrievers nationwide to be awarded funding to support their work in Scots.
Stuart A Paterson from Kirkbean and Susi Briggs from Gatehouse have both received Scots Language Publication grants.
The scheme, funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Scottish Book Trust, was created by the Scots Language Resource Network to support Scots publishers and to encourage Scots writers.
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13 August 2019 (The Conversation)
Rude, crude and extremely funny, “Scottish Twitter” has garnered much attention in recent years for its uniquely Celtic wit – and for the specific ways it uses language.
Journalist Eve Livingston’s recent article for The Face examines the many social and cultural features of Scottish Twitter. But the fact it has provided a medium for written Scots language to evolve in a way that wasn’t possible before the advent of social media is equally fascinating.
Scots is officially recognised as one of the minority languages of Scotland. It has existed and thrived for centuries in writing as well as speech. From poets Robert Burns, Hugh MacDiarmid and Sheena Blackhall to novelist Irvine Welsh, the language has a rich literary tradition, and even has its own dictionary. More recently, it has moved into the digital world, finding itself unexpectedly and enthusiastically embraced on social media.
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Get ready for Hallowe'en!
23 October 2018 (Various)
It's that time of year again and to help celebrate Hallowe'en in the languages classroom we've compiled a range of spooky resources! Click on the relevant link below for more information:
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4 October 2018 (The Pushkin Prizes)
Somewhere out there, in an S1 or S2 class in a school in Scotland, there are ten writers worthy of the title Pushkin Prize-winner. Are you one of them?
What can you write about? ANYTHING! We're looking for stories, poems, plays, articles, memoirs - anything you like on a subject of your choice. You can write in English, Scots or Gaelic.
Visit the website for more information and submit your entries by 20 December 2018.
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29 September 2018 (Daily Record)
Teen classic Diary of a Wimpy Kid is to get a braw makeover - being translated into Scots for the first time.
Jeff Kinney’s best-selling book series has been given a Caledonian re-vamp by Itchy Coo, the Scots language imprint for children at Black & White Publishing,
The first book in the series is “Diary o’ a Wimpy Wean”, re-worked by Scots writer Thomas Clark.
In the translation, twelve-year-old hero, Greg Hefley, tells the reader all about his life in modern Scots patter.
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28 September 2018 (Atlas Obscura)
Over the past few decades, as efforts to save endangered languages have become governmental policy in the Netherlands (Frisian), Slovakia (Rusyn) and New Zealand (Maori), among many others, Scotland is in an unusual situation. A language known as Scottish Gaelic has become the figurehead for minority languages in Scotland. This is sensible; it is a very old and very distinctive language (it has three distinct rsounds!), and in 2011 the national census determined that fewer than 60,000 people speak it, making it a worthy target for preservation.
But there is another minority language in Scotland, one that is commonly dismissed. It’s called Scots, and it’s sometimes referred to as a joke, a weirdly spelled and -accented local variety of English.
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9 September 2018 (The Herald)
No-one wants to hear the sound of a splorroch but a huam is another matter, at least if you had lived in Scotland 100 years ago or more.
Long forgotten words to describe the countryside have been uncovered and included in a new dictionary of words compiled during academic’s research in the Cairngorms.
Dictionary author Amanda Thomson said: “These words reveal so much about our history, natural history, and our changing ways of life - they are indicative of the depth, richness and variety of the Scots language and its unique relationship to nature and the Scottish landscapes of Lowlands, Highlands and islands.”
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Maths Week Scotland - Mathématiques sans frontières / Maths wi nae borders
7 September 2018 (North Lanarkshire Council)
As part of Maths Week Scotland, pupils of all ages can participate in the 'Maths wi nae borders' competition, which requires students to respond to one of the questions in either Gaelic or Scots.
The new competition is inspired by 'Mathématiques sans frontières'. North Lanarkshire Council, the University of the West of Scotland and Heriot Watt University work together to encourage young language learners to apply their knowledge in a Maths setting.
This stimulating and light-hearted competition for secondary schools combines Maths and Modern Languages and aims to motivate pupils in both their Maths and Language Learning. S4 classes attempt 10 questions and S5 classes 13 questions. Ideally a whole class should tackle groups of questions in order to complete the test within the 60 minutes allowed.
The first question require an explanation in a foreign language. It is hoped that this competition will encourage cross-curricular working and teamwork.
This year 42 teams from 27 schools took part in 'Mathématiques sans Frontières', the winning team in S4 was Girvan Academy and the S5 winners and overall winning school was Grange Academy.
Look out for the e-mail invitation inviting you to take part in January 2019.
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20 August 2018 (The Conversation)
Pithy Scots brogue and throwaway insults punctuate Outlander, the phenomenally successful TV series that explores the final great Jacobite uprising of 1745 – the rebellion against King George II led by Bonnie Prince Charlie. Like 18th-century period dress or columns of troops, the Scots language is colourfully employed to lend authenticity to the drama.
The Scots spoken in Outlander may not be the language spoken today in Scotland, but rather a stage-Scots – essentially English dressed in tartan and cockade – yet it is still to be cheered. In fact, the presence of Scots in Outlander is a sign of how far an historically repressed language has come in just a few decades.
Full article written in Scots is also available.
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16 August 2018 (The Herald)
Fancy learning a spot of Doric? Furry boots? Aiberdeen Varsity.
It's better known for its schools of medicine, law or international relations. But now one of Scotland's ancient seats of learning has launched evening classes in a language many of its scholars have derided: north-east Scots.
Aberdeen University's Elphinstone Institute has devised 10-week workshops in Doric, to help both locals and newcomers to the region learn to speak - and more importantly - write in the mither leid.
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7 July 2018 (Daily Record)
Scots phrases may make perfect sense to us, but they can leave some folk scratching their heads.
Babbel, the language learning app, looked at some everyday Scottish patter and how they can confuse different nationalities.
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8 June 2018 (Scottish Book Trust)
Can you write a story in just 50 words? Each month we’ll provide a prompt to get you started, but where the story goes from there is entirely up to you.
The competition includes four categories, Adult Writers, All-age Gaelic Writers, Young Writers 5-11 and Young Writer 12-18. The entries will be judged by a panel and the four winning stories will be published on our website two weeks after the closing date.
Entries for our June competition are currently open. The prompt is to 'write a story set on a beach'. Submit your story by Tuesday 3 July 2018 at noon.
Visit the Scottish Book Trust website for more information.
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13 April 2018 (The Times)
The future of the Scots language is being put under threat by the unstoppable march of American English, Alexander McCall Smith has claimed.
The best-selling author fears that the enthusiastic adoption of US phrases means traditional words such as sleekit scunnered and shoogly are in danger of being lost forever.
McCall Smith’s works have been translated into more than 40 languages but he is concerned that Scots, and other tongues and dialects, are being undermined by the establishment of US English as a global lingua franca.
Subscription required to access full article
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28 March 2018 (BBC)
A new body to promote Doric and the North-East Scots language is being launched in Aberdeen.
The North-East Scots Language Board aims to promote the language with the goal of making it more visible in everyday life, including Doric signage.
The body will be made up of representatives from Aberdeen's two universities and north east councils.
As well as the Doric, the board aims to promote other local dialects from the north east of Scotland.
A Scots language course is also being launched at the University of Aberdeen.
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20 March 2018 (The National)
A new push is to begin to strengthen the status of Scots as two language bodies form a new advocacy partnership.
The Scots Leid Board and the North-East Scots Language Board (NESLB) will launch their initiative at Aberdeen University on March 28, promising to be an “apolitical” voice for the promotion and protection of the medium.
It also aims to encourage its use in broadcasting and increase the provision of Scots-language education to the same level as Gaelic for youngsters aged three to 18.
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6 March 2018 (Scotsman)
Doric is to be promoted and protected on a new scale in Scotland with a body now set up in Aberdeen to secure the same status for North-East Scots as English and Gaelic. The North-East Scots Language Board is being led by academics, key figures and institutions in the region to normalise the use of the language in civic life, media, business and education.
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31 January 2018 (The Herald)
We are the nation which has more words for rain than the Eskimos have for snow.
From a yillen to a lashin, from a murr to a haar, Scots know how to describe every possible way to get drookit.
Now, at long last, the Met Office has decided to tell us just how wet we will be in wur ain leid.
Britain’s forecaster has formally announced that it will use what it rather controversially calls “regional slang” in its broadcasts.
It says even people using standard English across the UK have a huge variety of terms for the weather they are experiencing. Crucially, the experts at the Met Office think these words could be more accurate than scientific terms they prefer as they perform in front of their isobars.
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8 December 2017 (The National)
TEXTS in a fankle because your phone disnae ken whit yer oan aboot?
Dinnae fash, the world’s first Scots-speaking predictive text keyboard is here — and The National helped developers build it.
Techies at Microsoft subsidiary SwiftKey used material from this newspaper to teach their programme how to recognise, autocorrect and autopredict in Scotland’s ither national language.
The system uses artificial intelligence (AI) to adapt to the user’s writing style and is capable of running between both Scots and English at once.
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30 October 2017 (Scotsman)
To celebrate St Andrew’s Day, the British High Commission in Ottawa asked students to translate some Scots words. The hilarious video shows the students havering as they struggle with the lingo.
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10 November 2017 (The Scotsman)
The first book in the Harry Potter series has been translated into Scots. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stane marks the 20th anniversary of the first publication of the boy wizard’s adventures.
The first book in the series introduces Harry as he discovers that he is a wizard and leaves his family to go to Hogwarts and study magic.
Matthew Fitt, who translated the novel, said: “I wanted tae dae this for a lang time but kent I wanted tae get it richt. I’m that honoured tae be the Scots translator o this warld-famous Harry Potter buik and chuffed tae ma bitts that Scots speakers, baith young and no sae young, can noo read the novel again, this time in oor gallus braw Mither Tongue.”
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3 November 2017 (The Scotsman)
To those from outside Dundee, the bakery order “twa pehs, a plehn bridie an’ an inyin in an’ a” (Two pies, a plain bridie and an onion one as well) might be mistaken for a foreign language. Now, international research shows that the human brain treats the distinctive Dundonian brogue - and regional dialects in Britain and abroad - in exactly the same way as a second language.
The study at Abertay University in Dundee, and by researchers in Germany, suggests that while people from the city who converse in dialect may not be regarded generally as bilingual, cognitively there is little difference.
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30 October 2017 (Scottish Book Trust)
SKOOSH! is an exciting new online collection of poems, stories, monologues and plays by young writers - and they're all written in our very own, brilliant Scots language.
SKOOSH! is part of the Scots Hoose website. Funded by Creative Scotland and led by myself, Matthew Fitt, Scots Hoose has got all you need to learn about starting to write in Scots. There are tips, ideas, songs, information, films and muckle mair - and now lots of great new writing by school pupils ready for you to read on SKOOSH!
SKOOSH! is always looking for new Scots writing. It doesn't matter where you live. It doesn't matter which dialect of Scots you know. You can write in Scots just as well as anyone.
And if you're not sure how to get started or what to write about or even what the Scots language really is, visit Scots Hoose, Scotland's best resource for learning and creativity in the Scots language.
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1 October 2017 (The Guardian)
It won’t be long now before BBC Scotland is assailed by the sentinels of right thinking over the content of Thursday’s morning radio news show. What on earth was the national broadcaster thinking of? To mark National Poetry Day the station asked its new poet-in-residence, Stuart A Paterson, to read a poem he had written for the occasion.
It is called Here’s the Weather, an appropriate topic at this time of the year, as the seasons prepare to turn one last time and Scotland looks at its best in copper and gold.
Paterson’s poem is written mainly in the Scots tongue and so we were treated to a joyous cascade of words and images half-remembered from a childhood untroubled by the conventions of the classroom. “Forfochen” and “scunnert” were in there, as well as “girn” and “haiver”. And I was delighted to see one of my favourites, “molocate”, which, roughly translated, can mean to interact with someone or something with a degree of physical belligerence. I was also hoping to see the word “chib” in there, one of my other favourites; perhaps the next time.
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Related Links
Here's the Weather by Stuart A Paterson (BBC Scotland, 28 September 2017)
20 September 2017 (Education Scotland)
2017 is the year of History, Heritage & Archaeology . To celebrate, Education Scotland are launching a Creative Writing competition at the Scottish Learning Festival on 20 September. Learners of any and all ages are invited to enter to win Scots Language books for their school. Learners should write a poem or short story of not more than 750 words in length. The story or poem must be written in Scots language – though can be in any dialect of Scots, as broad or unique as the writer would like.
Log onto Glow and join the Scots blether to be kept up to date on all information on the competition. Go to the
Visit Scotland website for more info on the 2017 Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.
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2 September 2017 (The Herald)
The teaching of the Scots language is having a positive impact on the attainment of pupils in English qualifications, according to a new report.
Research shows teachers believe the language can particularly help disengaged pupils and those who are not high academic achievers.
The findings comes in a report from curriculum body Education Scotland which explores the use of Scots in primary and secondary schools.
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Related Links
Scots Language in Curriculum for Excellence (30 August 2017, Education Scotland)
31 August 2017 (Scottish Book Trust)
To celebrate the opening of the Queensferry Crossing, Scottish Book Trust are inviting writers to enter their 50-word fiction competition for September where a bridge must be incorporated in the story.
Entries in Scots and Gaelic are welcomed. Stories should be submitted by 30 September 2017.
Find out more on the Scottish Book Trust's website.
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30 August 2017 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland has published a report on the impact on literacy of learning Scots. The report ‘Scots Language in Curriculum for Excellence: enhancing skills in literacy, developing successful learners and confident individuals’ is available on the National Improvement Hub.
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28 August 2017 (Michael Kerins)
This exciting new project will run from 20 to 31 October 2017. The idea is to create new writing using vocabulary that differs by the addition of only one letter - one single letter and the meaning changes. Not only in English - but in a wide variety of languages.
To find out more about the project and how you can participate, visit the website or contact michael.kerins@gmail.com.
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18 July 2017 (The National)
Another classic literary tale has been given the Scots treatment as Le Petit Prince becomes The Wee Prince.
Language specialist Dr Susan Rennie of Glasgow University, author of ABC: a Scots Alphabet, has brought the classic to life in Scots for the first time.
Originally published in 1943, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s timeless tale is believed to have sold 150 million copies worldwide, read by around 400 million readers and officially translated more than 320 times.
The book, released last week, reveals the life of the enigmatic Wee Prince, including the secrets of his dowff an dowie life, his fondness for sundouns and his love for a wondrous bonnie. The poignancy of the original remains, with its message that the things that really matter in life – the muckle maitters – are takkin guid tent of your hame planet, and cultivating the deep ties of friendship and love.
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18 July 2017 (Scottish Sun)
A language expert has come up with a Scots meaning for almost every emoji you can think of.
Dr Michael Dempster put together the incredible list spanning around 200 mobile emoticons.
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28 June 2017 (The Scotsman)
As the literary world celebrates the 20th anniversay of Harry Potter first hitting the bookstands, a new version of the first book is to be published in Scots language. ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stane’ will become the 80th translation of the global phenonenon, telling the introduction to the world of JK Rowling’s wizard hero.
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20 March 2017 (The Southern Reporter)
Galashiels Academy played host to the annual Eildon West Primary Schools Celebration of Scots Language and Culture, held on Friday, March 3.
All primary schools, from Tweedbank to Heriot, were represented. Medals, presented by Alistair Christie, vice-president of the Galashiels Burns Club, were awarded for Scots writing and recitation of Scots poetry.
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3 March 2017 (Holyrood)
Across Scotland, 30 per cent of the population identified themselves as Scots speakers in the 2011 census, and in Aberdeenshire the figure was almost half, 49 per cent, yet there is no public body equivalent to Bòrd na Gàidhlig responsible for the promotion of Scots at a national level.
Scots tends to feature as part of culture studies, through Burns poetry or folk music, but not so much promoted as a living daily language.
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25 February 2017 (The Scotsman)
The level at which the languages of Scotland – with the exception of English – have been ignored and often despised in recent years is something that has always surprised and saddened me.
The reaction by some to MSP Christina McKelvie’s use of the word ‘thae’ in Holyrood during the recent Article 50 debate shows that prejudice and ignorance still surround the use of Scots in daily life.
Language is a cultural treasure and some might say the maximum expression of who we are and where we’re from.
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1 January 2017 (Daily Record)
The eccentric boxing champ revealed he would love to study the Scots language and loves Rabbie Burns' poems.
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1 December 2016 (The Scotsman)
To tell a child that the Scots language is corrupt is potentially damaging and hold back educational attainment, the Scots Scriever has said.
Hamish MacDonald, who has a residency at the National Library of Scotland to promote the Scots language, was speaking at the launch of the Wee Windaes website, which tracks the language across the centuries to its current day use.
MacDonald said: “Any practitioner in Scots say that bairns struggling in the classroom will shine when given the opportunity to express themselves in Scots. “To tell a child that their Scots language is slang or corrupt is potentially damaging, a falsehood and a bar to educational progress.”
MacDonald, appointed in 2015 by Creative Scotland, created the website with the library’s Learning Team to raise awareness of Scots.
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18 November 2016 (Scottish Book Trust)
Book Week Scotland is taking place from 21-27 November 2016.
There will be a host of events taking place around the country, including those celebrating Scots and Gaelic languages. Check the events schedule on the Scottish Book Trust website to see what's available near you.
Read more...
16 November 2016 (BBC News)
The definitive text on the ancient Norn language and its link with modern Scots has been reprinted using the original pages and covers.
Norn was largely spoken by people in the north of Scotland until the mid 18th Century.
Uncollated and unbound sheets of the text, first printed over 80 years ago, were discovered in a Kirkwall warehouse.
The Orkney Norn explains the link between the ancient language of Norn and modern Scots as BBC Scotland's David Delday explains.
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12 October 2016 (Bòrd na Gàidhlig)
This year's Dundee Literary Festival takes place from 19 October to 25 November and includes Scots and Gaelic language events.
Children will especially enjoy the session on 22 October, 'Rock and Roald Dahl Party' with Matthew Fitt, featuring Scots translations of some of Dahl's classic books.
Visit the website for details.
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6 October 2016 (The Herald)
A tour of Scotland's islands, a plan for an epic poem and a project to put the languages of Scotland into verse are all part of the plans of Scotland's national poet, or Makar, Jackie Kay.
Ms Kay, who was appointed as the third Makar in March, is to embark on Ferlie Leed, a poetic tour of the Highlands and Islands, with a series of events in the more far-flung spaces of Scotland, beginning in Dunoon and moving on to North Uist, Stornoway and Shetland.
Ferlie Leed, a Scots expression which Ms Kay said has translated to 'wondrous talk', said she wants to visit as much of the country as she can in her five year term as Makar.
Read more...
Related Links
National Poetry Day (STV News, 6 October 2016) See Jackie Kay and one of last year's MTOT winners, Keren Mingole, talk about poetry in their lives (the programme is available on iPlayer until 13/09/16 - watch from 28:50).
6 October 2016 (BBC News)
An American poet wins this year's Scots language category at Wigtown Book Festival.
Renita Boyle wrote "Sloe Jen" using the analogy of picking autumnal sloe berries as an analogy for heartbreak and mourning a lost love.
Listen to the recital of the winning poem on the BBC website.
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30 September 2016 (The National)
‘Urban’ Scots may no longer be spoken in 50 years’ time – but independence could save the language, according to a study.
According to the report, schoolchildren “aren’t familiar” with commonly used terms including bampot, glaikit and stooshie and changes to pronunciation will see the hard “r” sound after vowels disappear from “working-class” speech, with the letter “l” left off the end of words.
The claims are based on analysis of Scots used in Glasgow by an academic from York University and a dialect coach who has worked with a number of Hollywood actors.
In the findings, the pair also claim the picture could be “very different” – but only if “a second independence referendum were to go in favour of Scotland’s separation from the UK”.
Read more...
29 September 2016 (The Herald)
An author has translated Roald Dahl's iconic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - into Scots.
Novelist Matthew Fitt translated the children's classic because there are too few books for young Scots to read in their own language.
Scots is a West Germanic dialect spoken in Scotland.
It was the language of the medieval Scottish court, spoken by Mary Queen of Scots and James VI.
Now there are 1.6 million speakers of Scots.
Although Roald Dahl's works have been translated into 58 different languages worldwide, this will be the first time the book has been available in Scots.
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27 September 2016 (The Courier)
Eighteen months after schools were urged to increase the use of the Scots language as part of a wider drive to improve literacy, a BBC Radio documentary, compiled by Newport-based broadcaster and Scots language expert Billy Kay, is highlighting the efforts to promote the use of Scots in Dundee. Michael Alexander reports.
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30 August 2016 (Glasgow Live)
Children aged five to 12 joined Dr Susan Rennie, author of The Guid Freendly Giant – the BFG in Scots - at The Mitchell Library to create their very own Scots dictionary.
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24 August 2016 (The National)
The National’s own Scots language columnist and respected poet Rab Wilson has been appointed the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum’s scriever in residence.
The new writer in residence at the birthplace of Scotia’s bard in Alloway was previously Robert Burns Writing Fellow in Scots for Dumfries and Galloway and is a weel kent figure on the Burns scene.
An award-winning poet, Rab has produced many collections of poetry, chiefly written in the Scots language.
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20 August 2016 (BBC Radio Scotland)
Listen to the BBC Radio Scotland series exploring the history of the Scottish language.
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30 June 2016 (The National)
One of the tallest tales in children’s fiction has undergone a big change as it is told in Scots for the first time.
Language expert Dr Susan Rennie, of Glasgow University, has translated Roald Dahl’s much-loved novel The BFG as part of a year-long celebration of the author’s work.
Titled The GFG – Guid Freendly Giant – the book remains faithful to the original plot, with much of the action taking place in London as orphan Sophie teams up with the titular hero to save the public from human-eating giants.
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21 April 2016 (Southern Reporter)
Borders language expert Brian Holton is launching his 16th book this evening in Melrose – unveiling a collection of Chinese poetry translated into Scots.
Staunin Ma Lane is a fairly unique specimen, in that the author translates classic Chinese poems into not only English, but also Scots as well.
In fact, Brian is listed in Wikipedia as “the only currently-publishing Chinese-Scots translator in the world”.
“One of my aims is to show Chinese poetry is not necessarily as serious as people might expect,” he says. “There are a good range of voices to be heard.”
It turns out that there are social similarities between Chinese poets of the eighth century and Scots of today, and their poems can bring to light an affinity with alcohol, loneliness and philosophical meandering.
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9 April 2016 (The National)
It's been heralded as a feminist version of Game of Thrones and derided by critics as having a plot with more holes than a pair of well-worn socks. But now Outlander, the cult Highland costume drama, is being credited with fuelling a growing interest in both Gaelic and Scots languages.
Voice coach Carol Ann Crawford, who has helped Outlander stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan perfect their accents, claims that the American-British TV series, which has an international audience of millions, could be just the thing to get the languages known by a wider audience.
Crawford said that the drama, which will return to our screens for a highly-anticipated second season on Sunday, is helping keep old Scots words alive and as well as creating a new growing awareness among an international audience.
Read more...
31 March 2016 (Daily Record)
Stonehouse Primary and Nursery pupils have created and published their own booked called A Daunner Roon Stonehoose.
The book was written in Scots to celebrate the history and continued use of the Scots dialect.
Published by Whitewater Publishing with the support of publisher, Mary Thomson, every child in the nursery and school have contributed to the poems and stories in the book.
Each piece in the book describes life in Stonehouse, from playing in the park to going to school to popping out to the Post Office!
Read more...
14 March 2016 (ASLS)
The Association for Scottish Literary Studies (ASLS) is running a creative writing competition for stories in Scots for S1 and S2 pupils.
Pupils should write a short story of not more than 750 words in length and submit their entries by 31 May 2016.
A slide presentation is attached which can be used to support the teaching of creative writing in Scots. A further document is also attached containing examples of previous entries.
Further information about the competition and how to enter can be found on the ASLS website.
Read more...
10 March 2016 (The Scotsman)
There is something unique about the Scottish tongue when it comes to insults. It’s aggressive without effort, with a few simple phrases able to send someone on their way.
The Scots language was the country’s original tongue, dating back 1,400 years ago.
During the Middle Ages the language developed and grew apart from its sister tongue in England, until a distinct Scots language had evolved.
We take a look at some very Scottish insults.
Read more...
4 March 2016 (The Scotsman)
Edinburgh is a city of contrasts and differences, and that extends to the dialect of its residents. Just as the Old and New Towns radically differ in style, so do the accents and vocabularies of the city’s residents.
Accents and dialect are actually very different. An accent is how you sound when you talk - dialect is the words you use.
The most contemporary people quoted on the Edinburgh dialect is authors like Irving Welsh and Ian Rankin.
The Edinburgh dialect is the longest standing dialects, and one of the six versions of Scots. The region of the Edinburgh dialect also extends to Fife and the Lothians, stopping at Falkirk, where there is a noticeable change in words, from using “bairn” and “yin” on the east coast, to “wains” and “wan” on the west.
Read more...
4 March 2016 (Daily Record)
A Scottish Government web page set up to celebrate the Scots language had to be edited after experts branded some of the words gobbledygook .
The site quoted baffling expressions like “wirhameowerdaeinsan” in a bid to encourage more people to embrace the historical dialect, still used by 1.5 million people today.
But a string of experts were left baffled when presented with phrases like, “Scots us aaaroon us in wirhameowerdaeinsan, it is a furthie, feckfupairt o Scottish culture the day”.
Michael Hance, the director of the Scots Language Centre, said some phrases were made up of correct words jumbled together while others were completely unidentifiable.
He said: “It’s clearly not been edited correctly as some words don’t mean anything at all. Something has clearly got lost in translation somewhere along the line.
“It would appear that who was commissioned to write it didn’t have the chance to check it before it went online.
“It’s unfortunate because it’s likely that people went on the site and thought, because they couldn’t make sense of some words, that they didn’t have a proper grasp of Scots.”
Read more...
Related Links
Scots language website is no richt (Deadline News, 4 March 2016)
4 February 2016 (The National)
"Let our three-voiced country sing in a new world..."
Bauld hopefu words scrievit by the makar Iain Crichton Smith, in a poem that opened the Scottish Pairlament on July 1st 1999.
In the first verse he urged us aw tae sing in oor English, oor Gaelic and oor Scots and the last wis sung by the woman that cam tae symbolise the history and promise o that day.
When Sheena Wellington sae memorably hanselled the new Scotland wi Burns’ anthem o social justice A Man’s A Man, the language that partially endit roon aboot three hunner year o London rule wis Scots.
Fast forrit tae Holyrood 2016. Look for Scots in the Scottish Pairlament Buildin. If ye find ony, gie me a shout.
Read more...
2 February 2016 (The Scotsman)
People all over the world have heard of Cockney rhyming slang, but did you know there is a Scottish version?
Slowly making its way into colloquial speech, a book has already been published and even academic research has been carried out into this way of speaking.
What makes it more unique is that Scottish rhyming slang is based on pronunciation, and not written language.
Read more...
25 January 2016 (Daily Record)
The newly appointed ’Scots Scriever’ visited Kirktonholme Primary school to teach the language.
Hamish MacDonald gave a talk to pupils at the school last week as part of a Scots learning focus during the month of January.
Hamish is the first Scots Scriever - and is the appointed national writer of Scots Language.
Hamish recited his own poems and others that the children had been studying in class and discussed their meanings and sounds.
Children were given a chance to hear ‘The Gruffalo’s Wean,” a book originally written in English but now translated into Scots, as well as a Scots book from the 1500s about an owl.
Read more...
16 January 2016 (The National)
Few people know more about the power and influence of minority languages than linguist Hector Poullet, an expert on the Creole tongue of the Caribbean.
The softly-spoken 75-year-old is a source on Creole in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe. You could say he wrote the book on the language, co-authoring one of the world’s first Creole dictionaries and helping to introduce it into the school curriculum.
This week, Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland launched a free online resource for children. Gifting Every Child includes Scots songs and Gaelic lullabies, providing an introduction to the traditional arts for the classroom or family home.
“All of the world’s languages are like a kaleidoscope – every single one of them is multiform and each one must be protected,” Poullet says.
Read more...
13 January 2016 (Scottish Book Trust)
Can you write a story in just 50 words? Each month a prompt will be provided to get you started, but where the story goes from there is entirely up to you.
For January the prompt is 'write a story set in the future.'
Adults and young writers are eligible to enter. Submissions are welcomed in Scots and Gaelic.
Visit the Scottish Book Trust website for more information and to submit your short story.
Read more...
12 January 2016 (Education Scotland)
How many Scots words do you know? What about your friends and family? When and where do you use these words?
Have you noticed that some people in different parts of Scotland use different Scots words from you?
Here is a chance to share your words with those collected by classes from other parts of the country on the Scots Learners' site (Glow login required).
Find out more on Education Scotland's learning blog.
Read more...
7 January 2016 (The Independent)
The independence-supporting National newspaper in Scotland has published an edition written partly in the Scots language.
Its front-page headline in Thursday’s edition was about the current internal strife of the Labour party.
“Stairhead rammy: Labour faw apairt efter Blairites get their jotters”, it said, roughly translated as “Neighbours at war: Labour fall apart after Blairites are sacked”.
“We’ve went aw Scots,” the paper announced.
The National’s strapline is normally “the newspaper that supports an independent Scotland”, but this was changed to a “gallus” - a bold or self-confident - Scotland.
Other headlines included: “Angry Salmond: Sae whaur’s awoor richt-wingers when we need thaim.”
Scots is a catch-all term for several different local dialects and is regarded as one of Scotland’s three native languages, including English and Scottish Gaelic.
Read more...
10 December 2015 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland's latest languages bulletin is now available. This edition includes information on:
- Updated guidance on assessing progress and achievement in Modern Languages
- GLOWmeet sessions:
- replay of session on 1+2 policy progress held on 18 November
- next session - guidance on progression from first to second level, 27 January 2016
- Language Show Live Scotland
- Scots language updates
Read more...
4 December 2015 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland is challenging young people across Scotland to translate Alexander Fleming’s biography into Scots.
Translations are invited from learners of all ages and can be submitted in any variety of Scots. Translations should be submitted to
Diane Anderson by 10 December 2015 to mark the seventieth anniversary of Fleming’s Nobel Prize for Medicine for his discovery of penicillin. The best translation will be added to the Celebrating Scotland’s Scientists resource.
You can find the English biography of Alexander Fleming to translate in the Celebrating Scotland’s Scientists resource. It includes biographies of Scotland’s most famous and influential scientists’ with translations available in both Scots and English.
Read more...
3 December 2015 (SCILT)
Are you looking for ways to bring the festive season to your languages classroom?
SCILT have compiled resources from around the world for use with your pupils, from songs and games to interactive advent calendars. Find out how Christmas is celebrated in France, Germany, Spain and around the world!
Read more...
2 December 2015 (Education Scotland)
Broughton High School pupils gave Minister for Learning, Sciences and Scotland's Languages, Dr Alasdair Allan, a warm welcome today (Wednesday 2 December) as he visited the school in Edinburgh to celebrate their work in promoting the use of Scots language.
Dr Allan visited the school following St Andrew's Day, 30 November, to see the work the school has been doing on an in-depth Scots language project, developed by Education Scotland, called ‘Keen tae Ken yir Kin’.
As part of this project, Broughton High School have partnered with Banff Academy, Aberdeenshire, to explore their own regional variety of Scots as well as that of their partner school. The project began with each school exchanging a ‘handsel’*, with pupils writing in Scots about themselves and the area in which they live.
Read more...
30 November 2015 (Education Scotland)
The Scots language co-ordinators at Education Scotland have put together a list of seven suggestions for meaningful learning about Scotland for St Andrews Day.
Find links to Scots language websites, songs, poems and other resources, as well Gaelic language materials.
Read more...
30 November 2015 (The Herald)
BBC Alba should extend its remit to make programmes in the Scots language, a former leader of the SNP has urged.
Gordon Wilson said having a Gaelic language channel but no broadcasting in Scots was a "cultural flaw".
In a submission to the BBC Trust, which is consulting on the future of the corporation, he said: "Gaelic is an important part of Scottish culture.
"Yet Scotland has another tradition in the Scots language still spoken in different forms throughout Scotland and used widely amongst the ordinary folk of Scotland.
"It dwarves that of Gaelic.
"Scots has been instrumental in enriching Scottish culture in poetry, prose and plays but does not enjoy the support it should from a national broadcaster."
Read more...
Related Links
Wee Ginger Dug: Does it suit the Tories (The National, 3 December 2015)
28 October 2015 (Commonspace)
THE Scottish new media website Bella Caledonia has announced that it will publish a new strand of work celebrating Gaelic and Scots language, and culture.
The content will be published in both English and Gaelic, and will explore the world of Scottish poetry, music and visual art.
Bella Caledonia editor Mike Small stated: "It's an outstanding group of people who are joining our editorial team - we are going to bring new richness and depth to Bella's cultural content and stand-up for Scottish culture.
"We have established a pool of contributors from up and down the country to create content and welcome input and submissions from others. It's time to take a far more pro-active and confident approach to defending and more importantly celebrating our cultural diversity."
Read more...
22 October 2015 (BBC Scotland)
One of the top selling children's books in the world has just been published in four Scots regional versions.
The Gruffalo, by Julia Donaldson, has been made available in Doric, Dundonian, Orcadian and Shetlandic dialects.
See the video report from BBC Scotland's Mike Grundon.
Read more...
10 October 2015 (The Falkirk Herald)
A new online resource featuring support materials and educational resources to help improve learning and teaching of Scots language was unveiled at this year’s Scottish Learning Festival in Glasgow.
The new Scots Language hub sits within the languages section of the Education Scotland website and will feature educational resources including a short animated history of the Scots language as well as a range of materials to support learning and teaching of the mother tongue in primary education and the senior phase.
Read more...
Related Links
Education Scotland's Scots Language hub.
30 September 2015 (The National)
IT is a worldwide bestseller told in almost 60 languages.
Now Julia Donaldson’s family favourite The Gruffalo will be read in four more tongues as publishers release versions in four Scottish dialects.
Based on a Chinese folk tale, Donaldson’s tale of the mouse that thinks its way out of danger in the deep, dark wood was originally published in 1999 and has since sold 13 million copies in languages including Portuguese, Icelandic, Romanian, Afrikaans and Maori.
Illustrated by Axel Scheffler, it has also been adapted for the stage and screen as well as numerous spin-offs, including a sequel,The Gruffalo’s Child.
Now the author’s work will be republished once again in Doric, Dundonian, Orkney Scots and Shetland Scots.
Read more...
23 September 2015 (BBC News)
Scotland has more than 400 words and expressions for snow, according to a project to compile a Scots thesaurus.
Academics have officially logged 421 terms - including "snaw" (snow), "sneesl" (to begin to rain or snow) and "skelf" (a large snowflake).
The study by the University of Glasgow is part of a project to compile the first Historical Thesaurus of Scots, which is being published online.
The research team have also appealed for people to send in their own words.
You can hear a discussion about the study and some of the words being spoken on BBC Radio 4's 'Today' broadcast. (Listen between 48:25 and 49:45 and 01:26:40-01:30:30. Available on iPlayer until 20 October 2015).
Read more...
10 September 2015 (Scottish Government)
A national Scots Language Policy has been launched today by Dr Alasdair Allan, Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland's Languages.
This national Scots policy sets out the Scottish Government's position on the Scots language, its aims and objectives for Scots and the practical steps we will take to achieve these. It has been developed in co-operation with a number of key interests and will be reviewed periodically.
Read more...
7 September 2015 (PRI)
“I am delighted tae be offered the new an vitally important role as Scots Scriever wae the National Library o Scotland. I luik forwart tae workin wae communities throughoot Scotland in gie’in voice tae this vibrant language which, whether spoken or written, deserves tae be celebrated everywhere,” said MacDonald, in Scots of course.
“Scriever” is Scots for “writer.” MacDonald was appointed “Scriever” by the National Library of Scotland and he will spend the next two years as the ambassador of the Scots language.
“It’s really a creative writing post — stimulating existing writing in Scots, or to help new writing in Scots or spoken Scots; to help with storytelling, to look at some of the provenance of the language some of the contemporary uses of the language,” MacDonald says.
Read the article and listen to Hamish speaking about his background and new role.
Read more...
Related Links
Keeping Scots language strong (BBC World Service extract, 7 September 2015) Listen to Hamish Macdonald, the first Scots Scriever, reading his poem Nae Fizz Izzy in Scots.
26 August 2015 (Financial Times)
This week the first “Scots scriever”, or writer, takes office as part of a drive by the Scottish National party to give the Scots language greater status in schools and cultural industries.
Read more...
Appeal for Schools to take part in The Scots Language Ambassador scheme
21 August 2015 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland’s Scots Language Coordinators Katrina Lucas and Simon Hall are looking for more schools who may be interested in taking part in a new scheme to promote the use of Scots Language in schools. The Scots Language Ambassador scheme, which launched in Edinburgh during Book Week on 24
th November 2014, has so far attracted 40 confident Scots speakers from different walks of life from all over Scotland, who have volunteered their time to work in partnership with schools to promote the use of Scots and foster a love of the language. If any schools would like to find out more or to request a partnership with an Ambassador, please contact
Simon Hall and
Katrina Lucas at Education Scotland.
12 August 2015 (The Bookseller)
Hamish MacDonald has been appointed as the first Scots Scriever.
The role, a two-year residency at the National Library of Scotland supported with funding from Creative Scotland, will involve producing original creative work in Scots, its variants and dialects, across any art-form, as well as raising awareness, appreciation and use of Scots across the country and amongst all parts of the population.
Read more...
9 August 2015 (Scotland Now)
Which language do you think is the most beautiful sounding in the world?
Are the flowing, romantic sounds of French among your favourites or maybe some passionate Italian tones?
The video clip above, made by language learning website Easy Languages, claims German is the most beautiful sounding in the world.
Okay, we admit the rough and readiness of the Scottish language might not be the easiest on everyone’s ears – but we love it anyway.
Read more...
6 July 2015 (The Herald)
Before the meteoric rise in printing technology, most European nations were a hodgepodge of dialects and linguistic variations. More of a flowing fabric of interwoven words across the continent, than our current situation of bounded nation-states.
With the popularity of print publications came the need to standardise written languages - translating every book into the hundreds of French dialects would have been an unwieldy and costly project, much more complicated than developing dictionaries for people to learn the standard.
Thusly, the new and increasingly ubiquitous print media at the time effected spoken variations, with institutions like L'Academie Francaise established with the sole role of linguistic arbiter; policing the nation's speakers to communicate 'properly'.
Read more...
22 June 2015 (The Herald)
From Herald Scotland letters pages
I would like to take a broader view of the languages currently and previously spoken in Scotland than expressed by Alexander Waugh (Letters, June 19).
For this discussion we should bypass the Scots whose language inheritance is from the Indian sub-continent, China, Eastern Europe or even south of the Border.
Read more...
8 June 2015 (The Herald)
The 2015 James McCash Scots Poetry Competition, announced today, offers total prize money of £3,500, making it among the UK's major poetry prizes.
The total has more than doubled since last year, when it was £1,500.
The free-to-enter competition, which has been run jointly by The Herald and Glasgow University since 2003, aims to celebrate and encourage the use of the Scots language in all its rich diversity.
Read more...
Related Links
Tinto Hill Withoot Oxygen (The Herald, 9 June 2015)
3 June 2015 (All Media Scotland)
Creative Scotland is today publishing its first Scots Language Policy, underlining the organisation’s commitment to supporting the language through its own work and the work that it funds across the arts, screen and creative industries.
A key element of the policy is the creation of the role of Scots Scriever, a first for Scotland, and a joint initiative between Creative Scotland and the National Library of Scotland.
This role, open to applications from today, will be a two-year residency, based at the National Library of Scotland supported with funding from Creative Scotland.
The purpose of the role of Scots Scriever will be to produce original creative work in Scots, its variants and dialects, across any art-form, as well as raising awareness, appreciation and use of Scots across the country and amongst all parts of the population.
Full role details and how to apply are on the National Library of Scotland website.
Read more...
Related Links
Scots Language Policy published (Creative Scotland, 3 June 2015)
Creative Scotland launches Scots Scriever language role (BBC News, 3 June 2015)
Scots Scriever to promote Scots language in arts (The Scotsman, 3 June 2015)
Scots speaker sought to scrieve for Scotland (The Herald, 3 June 2015)
Search for first Scots language master (The National, 4 June 2015)
Scots scriever role created to promote and produce work in Scots language (Common Space, 4 June 2015)
Bella Caledonia: A wee scrieve oan Scots leid policy (Common Space, 4 June 2015)
Gary Elliot: Why it's time to shake off the 'Scottish cringe' when it comes to our language (Common Space, 4 June 2015)
The hunt for a bonnie fechter (The Herald, 4 June 2015)
Does speaking Scots make you more likely to support independence? (The Herald, 7 June 2015)
28 May 2015 (BBC News)
A Midsummer Night's Dream, one of William Shakespeare's best-loved plays, is to be performed in the Scots language.
The comedy has been an enduring favourite since it was penned more than 400 years ago.
Crossmichael Drama Club is one of seven Scottish amateur dramatic companies taking part in the Royal Shakespeare Company project to re-imagine Shakespeare's plays.
See BBC Scotland's Willie Johnston reporting from Castle Douglas.
Read more...
28 May 2015 (STV News)
Gran and wee were among the most popular words used by children in Scotland this year, according to analysis of entries to a short story competition.
The word wee appeared in 191 entries to the 2015 BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show's 500 Words competition, research by Oxford University Press (OUP) has found.
The second most popular word was loch - which appeared 80 times - while janny was used 11 times.
The top ten also included gran, sheriff, jetpack, haggis and pandas as well as couch and phoned.
The competition challenged children to compose an original work of fiction using no more than 500 words.
Experts from OUP analysed the 120,421 entries from across the UK to gain insights into the ways in which British children are using language.
They found that across the UK hashtag and the # symbol used to represent it was the most popular term this year.
Analysis of entries from north of the border found that many children are embedding Scots into their stories.
Read more...
Related Links
Scottish children's favourite words revealed (BBC News, 28 May 2015) - listen to Dr Susan Rennie, a lexicographer and expert in Scots language at the University of Glasgow, talking to BBC Radio Scotland's Hayley Millar.
‘Wee’ and ‘gran’ among most popular Scots words (The Scotsman, 28 May 2015)
20 May 2015 (BBC News)
Scotland's new SNP MPs have sworn allegiance to the Queen during the traditional oath taking ceremony at the House of Commons.
There are 50 new nationalist members at Westminster, joining six SNP MPs who were re-elected from the 2010 intake.
The MPs took their oaths in the Scottish style, which involves holding the right hand in the air.
Each was required to read the passage in English, but a number also performed it in Gaelic and Scots.
Read more...
11 May 2015 (Scots Language Centre)
A 2015 Education Scotland report (3-18 Literacy and English Review) discussed how using Scots language and texts in Scots in the classroom increase general literacy levels. For those interested in achieving this, see the 10 point plan to help increase usage of Scots language and ways to find Scots language texts for the classroom.
Read more...
5 May 2015 (Scottish Language Dictionaries)
Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd (SLD) is the major charitable body for the lexicography of the Scots language. SLD currently receives financial support from the Scottish Government. In order to drive forward our exciting plans SLD now wishes to appoint a Principal Executive Officer. The new PEO will report to SLD's Board of Trustees, and will also liaise with the Scottish Government's Learning Directorate.
The post, based in Edinburgh, will be available with effect from 1st August 2015 with a salary in the region of £38,000 p.a. It is envisaged as a full-time commitment, but a partial appointment at 0.8 FTE may be negotiable for a suitably-qualified candidate.
Application deadline 30 May 2015.
Visit the Scottish Language Dictionaries website for further particulars and how to apply.
Read more...
1 May 2015 (TESS)
The relationship between the Scots language and the Scottish educational establishment has not always been easy. Historic literary examples from up and down the country show this. In a famous scene from William McIlvanney’s novel Docherty, the young Conn endures corporal punishment for insisting “Ah fell an bumped ma heid in the sheugh, sur”, while the 20th-century Orkney poet Christina Costie depicts a domineering teacher roaring at her class, “Don’t say ‘Nu’, say ‘Now’./And don’t say ‘Ku’, say ‘Cow’.”
Scots has often been misunderstood as slang, or as corrupt or inferior English. It isn’t widely known that Scots is a Germanic language in its own right, or that it is a sister language to English, with which it shares a common ancestor in Anglo-Saxon. It isn’t always appreciated that Scots has some 60,000 unique words and expressions, that it is the language of an illustrious and centuries-old literature, or that it was once a language of state used by kings, politicians and commoners alike.
Scots today is recognised by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and, as such, is afforded some special protection by the UK and Scottish governments. The 2011 census included a question on respondents’ ability to speak Scots, and campaigners for the language were delighted when 1.5 million people said they used and understood it.
Read more...
24 April 2015 (The Herald)
Schools have been urged to increase the use of the Scots language as part of a wider drive to improve literacy.
Using Scots in lessons could improve pupils' engagement with learning as well as increasing their understanding of Scottish culture, according to curriculum quango Education Scotland.
Over the past five years, the language has become recognised in the classroom under the Curriculum for Excellence, which calls on schools to support children in maintaining their own first language.
However, there are still negative attitudes towards Scots, with some arguing it is a dialect rather than a language and others believing it to be a slang form of English. An official survey found that nearly two-thirds of the Scottish public do not believe that Scots is a real language.
Read more...
Related Links
Your views (TESS, 23 April 2015) a letter from Matthew Fitt, Scots writer and teacher – Scots isn’t a language? I’ve something to say about that….
Your views (TESS, 18 April 2015) - a letter from Steve Ainsworth, freelance writer and researcher - Inconvenient truths about Scots.
25 February 2015 (Into Film)
Throughout March we're promoting the diversity of language by hosting Scots language events across Scotland, taking in screenings of The Gruffalo and translating them into local dialects.
Visit the Into Film website for dates/venues and booking information.
Read more...
25 February 2015 (Education Scotland)
Each year throughout January pupils from Kirktonholme Primary and Nursery in East Kilbride take part in a multi disciplinary programme of learning around Scots language and culture. They have fully embedded the teaching of Scots in a whole-school approach. For more details, view their short film.
Read more...
13 February 2015 (BBC)
A scheme has been launched to encourage the use of the Scots language in schools.
Specially recruited ambassadors are working to raise the status of the language and to help teachers incorporate it across the curriculum.
BBC Scotland's education correspondent Jamie McIvor reports from a school where they have found Scots a useful part of the timetable.
Read more...
12 February 2015 (Ellon Times)
Young Ellon storytellers helped local housebuilder Barratt celebrate Burns Night by taking part in a Scots language-themed writing competition.
Ellon Primary School P7 pupils were tasked with writing about celebrating at home, and in memory of Scotland’s national poet. The 29 children told their stories about weddings, birthdays, Christmas and New Year using Scots verse.
The team at Barratt Homes was so impressed they decided to donate £100 of book tokens to the school.
Read more...
9 February 2015 (The Scotsman)
The Scots language should be heard on radio and television as part of mainstream programming and not confined to comedy shows, an award-winning broadcaster has said.
BBC Scotland’s Frieda Morrison, who also presents a monthly podcast on Scots Language Radio, will host an event next week and call for Scots to be given the same airtime as Gaelic.
“Scots is in a far more perilous situation than Gaelic. Yet in recent memory we had children ridiculed for using it at school and it only being acceptable once a year learning a poem for Burns Day,” she said
“Using Scots is all about confidence and identity. So many people are proud they speak it and it has not held them back.
“But we need a multi-pronged attack. Education Scotland has made it part of the curriculum but we need it heard much more often.”
Read more...
6 February 2015 (STV News)
She's one of the world's most famous actresses with massive roles in films such as Sin City, Fantastic Four and Into the Blue.
So fans from across the pond were delighted when American star Jessica Alba was pictured on her Instagram account reading The Gruffalo in Scots to her children.
The book, originally written by Julia Donaldson, has become a contemporary favourite with youngsters.
But the Scottish version, produced by James Robertson and published by Black & White, is for more of a niche audience.
Or at least that's what James thought until he saw the picture of Jessica on Thursday afternoon.
Read more...
3 February 2015 (SQA)
SQA has published package 1 of Unit assessment support for the new Scots Language Award. Package 1 includes Unit assessment support packs for the Understanding and Communicating and History and Development Units at SCQF levels 4 and 5. The Unit assessment support packs are now available from our secure website, and teachers and lecturers can arrange access to them through their SQA Co-ordinator.
Package 2 will be available by the end of February 2015 and will include Unit assessment support packs for the Understanding and Communicating and History and Development Units at SCQF levels 3 and 6.
See the SQA website for more information.
Read more...
23 January 2015 (TESS)
Sunday is Burns Night, which means that huge numbers of people in Scotland and beyond will celebrate the poet’s life by reciting the verse that earned him worldwide appeal.
But this once-a-year showcase of the Scots language has traditionally sat uneasily with the scant opportunities to study it in Scottish schools during the rest of the year.
Read more...
22 January 2015 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland’s Scots Language Coordinators Katrina Lucas and Simon Hall are looking for more schools who may be interested in taking part in a new scheme to promote the use of Scots Language in schools.
Read more...
17 December 2014 (East Ayrshire Council)
Grange Academy pupils celebrated the Scots language this week by helping to launch a new Scots Dictionary app, developed by the Scottish Language Dictionaries.
Exploring the mither tongue was Principal Teacher Jill Hillhouse, who demonstrated how Scots language is used in the classroom. Jill encouraged pupils to treasure the Scots language by asking everyone attending to jot down their favourite Scots word; Jill’s favourite was ‘scunnered’ and another favourite from the pupils was ‘stooshie’.
It was then over to senior pupil, Becky Paterson to explain how the new app works, inviting guests to search for the meaning of their favourite Scots word. The app provides a meaning for the word, the origin of the word and also an audio clip to help with the pronunciation. When used in conjunction with the Essential Scots Dictionary, the app is an important tool for pupils studying Scots as a modern language.
Read more...
15 December 2014 (Daily Record)
An appeal has been launched for Scots language speakers in Glasgow to promote its use in city schools.
Education Scotland started an ambassador scheme last month and wants confident Scots speakers from all walks of life to volunteer at schools to raise the status of the language.
Volunteers will be expected to help create a love for Scots over three years and get further involved in the school community.
Ambassadors that have signed up include the cast of the Singing Kettle, Scottish Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2014 Robyn Stapleton, prizewinning author James Robertson and poet and Dundee Laureate W.N. Herbert.
Read more...
10 December 2014 (Cumnock Chronicle)
An author from New Cumnock is taking part in a worldwide attempt to translate a classic children’s story into as many languages as possible — by using the Mithir Tung o’ Rabbie Burns.
Dr Jimmy Begg had taken on the challenge, which will mark the 150th anniversary of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, written by Lewis Carroll in 1865, and involves a group of internationally renowned academics.
Since the first German and French versions of the tale were published in 1869, it has been translated into 48 different languages, including Maori, Swahili, Arabic, Russian, Japanese, Hungarian, Korean, Bengali, Esperanto, Thai, Hebrew, Hindi, and Urdu.
As part of the anniversary project, more will be added including 11 Scots languages, and three Gaelic, as well as some more obscure versions such as Tongan and Zulu.
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9 December 2014 (Education Scotland blog)
I sometime use the phrase “national treasure” when I’m out and about talking to people about the Scots language.
There are a few reasons why I like this phrase. Firstly, Scots is indeed a “national” language.
It is spoken in all its rich varieties from Stranraer to Shetland, and pretty much everywhere in between. Folk in the Borders use it, and it’s used in our Scottish cities and across the Central Belt. It thrives in Angus, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Caithness and Orkney.
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Related Links
Simon Hall: Rejoice in Scots language (The Edinburgh Evening News, 8 December 2014)
26 November 2014 (The Herald)
A scheme to promote and encourage the use of Scots language within schools has been launched.
The ambassador scheme, unveiled at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh, will see Scots speakers from all walks of life become champions of the language.
The individuals will be paired with schools and work with them for three years to foster a love of the Scots language in pupils.
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26 November 2014 (Daily Record/Scotland Now)
Scotland's first-ever comic book superhero is set to make its debut in the country’s native tongue.
Matthew Fitt has translated the award-nominated ‘Saltire Invasion’, which will be launched this Sunday on St Andrew’s Day.
And Saltire writer and creator John Ferguson admits he is excited at the prospect of the big blue ginger protagonist being portrayed in his own language.
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20 November 2014 (STV News)
"The year is 50 B.C. The haill O Gaul is occupied by the Romans... The haill O Gaul? Nae wey!"
Those are the opening lines of the very first Asterix adventure, after its translation into Scots.
Writer and poet Matthew Fitt, who has had over ten years of working as a Scots language consultant, has undergone the challenge of translating another two well known comics.
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8 October 2014 (National Library of Scotland)
A website to help primary schoolchildren learn Scots is launched today by the National Library of Scotland.
The 'Oor Wullie guide tae Scots language' site uses the famous cartoon character to get six-to 11-year-olds thinking about and using Scots words.
Several schools across Scotland worked with the Library to develop and test the learning activities, which include quizzes, a 'comic maker' and a word search.
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