October 26 in Scottish History

Today in 1911 the Gaelic poet, Sorley MacLean, was born on the island of Raasay. Maclean was a key force in the revitalising of the Gaelic language. After studying at the University of Edinburgh, he took up teaching as a career and was for many years head teacher at Plockton High School. His poetry brilliantly demonstrates the capacity of Gaelic to express themes ranging from passionate love to contemporary political and intellectual issues. While he broke with the conventions for Gaelic poetry that still prevailed when he started writing in the 1930s, his writing very much belongs to the eloquent continuum of the Gaelic oral tradition. Honoured with many major awards, including the Queen's Medal for Poetry, Sorley MacLean was the greatest Gaelic poet of the 20th century. He died in 1996.

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