Scotland and the Scottish Diaspora
"It's part of me, Scotland. I'm still immersed in it even though I am not there." -- Irvine Welsh (1958 - ), Scots novelist, short story writer, playwright, author of Trainspotting among many other works).
All my life I have been interested in the history of Scotland and the profound consequences of the Scottish diaspora throughout the world. Scotland and the Scots are appealing in so many ways -- the beauty of the land- and seascapes, the food and drink, the extraordinarily resourceful and creative people, the dramatic history from antiquity to the present, the great literature and history and philosophy and religion. The subjects are themselves enough to inspire writing, but there is great satisfaction in the fact that the Scots have lived up to the subjects on their own writ.
Over many years I have researched the history of Cumberland Valley, and I have often talked about the Scots, the Scots-Irish, and the settlement of this part of the New World by these willing and not-so-willing exiles. In recognition of the history and significance of the Scots to our area, I fly the Saltire and carry these books and cds. I am always on the lookout for more.
P.S. Due to listing limitations, I have moved Ian Rankin and Denise Mina, two fine writers of the Scots Noir movement, over to our International Mystery page.
The Edinburgh Companion to the Gaelic Language
The Edinburgh Companion to the Gaelic Language
Covers all aspects of Scottish Gaelic and places the study of the Gaelic language within the context of modern linguistic research
Bringing together a range of perspectives on the Gaelic language, this book covers the history of the language, its development in Scotland and Canada, its spelling, syntax and morphology, its modern vocabulary, and the study of its dialects. It also addresses sociolinguistic issues such as identity, perception, language planning and the appearance of the language in literature. Each chapter is written by an expert on their topic.
The book has been written accessibly with a non-specialist audience in mind. It has a particular value for those requiring introductions to aspects of the Gaelic language. It will also be of great interest to those who are embarking on research on Gaelic for the first time. Authors include Colm O Baoill, David Adger, Rob Dunbar, Seosamh Watson, Ken Nilsen, Ken MacKinnon and Ronald Black.
This book:
Deals with a wide range of aspects of Gaelic
Places the study of the Gaelic language within the context of modern linguistic research
Encourages and supports further study
Includes chapters by a number of leading experts on Gaelic language