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The Bonnie Lass o Fyvie
A favourite from the North East, this is another of those love songs with a tragic ending. Performed by the Joe Gordon Folk Four, this video is from the old BBC TV programme, The White Heather Club. more
Help with encouraging Scots use in the primary classroom.
In 2001 former teacher and lecturer Aileen McEwen wrote about the benefits of using Scots in the classroom, and the wider impact of having two languages. Her article was aimed at probationer teachers in Aberdeenshire who were perhaps unsure of their own Scots language knowledge. It contained some... more
David
For the Rev David Ogston, 1947-2008
Bard an meenister in ane
Straicht the furra that he trod
May his ghaistly fitsteps climm
Jacob’s laidder, tae his God.
Douce, he wis, a scholar chiel
Leaf frae a stinch Buchan tree
Autumn’s wyled him frae the lave
Tae his earned Epipha... more
David Ogston
On a cauld Januar mornin in 1980, a wee curn o fowk frae St. John’s Kirk set oot for Balerno in sairch o a new meinister. As we herkent til a delichtfu an eimaginative sermon, we war awaur that here wes a rerr speirit. The letter o applicatioun that brocht us ti Balerno haed been haund-wrutten ... more
David Ogston's Church Wedding service in Scots
David Ogston's Scots language wedding service isn't as well known as perhpas it should be. You can see it at the following web site.
http://www.monikie.org.uk/wedd more
North East dialect
The Doric of North-East Scotland is one of the liveliest and most distinctive of of all the many dialects of the mother tongue. From the Don to the Deveron, the old people and many young ones too still speak it every day, and the "Doric Nichts" in pubs, an annual "DoricFestival" of music and lite... more
The North East Dialect
Neil talks about his school days
Reproduced with the kind permission of Luath Press
http://www.luath.co.uk
more
Luath Scots Language Learner
Helen waukens quicker
Reproduced with the kind permission of Luath Press
more
Sheena Blackhall
Sheena Blackhall reads from Minnie, her novella about north east farm life between the wars.
Reproduced with the kind permission of the Scots Language Centre
more
Robbie Sheppards Podcast
Listen to well known north east broadcaster and journalist, Robbie Sheppard, whose podcast is published every week on www.thisisnorthscotland.co.uk.
more
Songs from the North East
Chokit on a tattie - children from Strichen in Buchan enjoying themselves singing a playground rhyme
From Scottish Tradition Series Vol 22 - Chokit On A Tattie (Children's Songs & Rhymes)
CDTRAX9022
http://www.musicscotland.com more
More songs from the North East
The lang snout piece - this farm girl would like a child but can't find a man.
Reproduced with the kind permission of the School of Scottish Studies
more
Links for North East
The Buchan Heritage Society
The Society was founded in March 1984 by our Founder President Mr James M Duncan, in order to keep alive in a fast changing world all the old and true traditions of Buchan in Music, Song, Verse, Drama and Olde Tyme Dance.
http://www.buchanheritagesocie
The Dor... more
News from the North East
Hotel lands uplifting Doric voice
An Aberdeen hotel has secured a local Doric accent for its lift - to make guests feel more welcome.
more
As I came ower the Muir o` Ord
From the Bothy Ballards published by Greentrax Recordings
http://www.greentrax.com/ more
Ruth from Portessie
Ruth is from Portessie, near Buckie on the north east coast. She was a fish gutter in her teens, traveling all over the UK during the herring boom for work. She has a wealth of stories to tell from this time, but in this extract she is talking about getting married during the war and the difficul... more
Scottish Parliament motion on north east Scots from Maureen Watt MSP
Scots Pairlament motion on nor-east Scots fae Maureen Watt MSP
The follaein Motion wis pitten afore the Scots pairlament, written in baith Scots an English, bi Maureen Watt MSP an wis reportit tae hiv gotten a fairly guid an braid meisure o uphaud frae fellae MSPs in the Scots pairlament. Here ye... more
EXCLUSIVE – Scots language wedding on film
When they decided to get married, Colin Wilson and Fiona Henderson wanted to have their civil wedding ceremony conducted in Scots, their native language. They asked the registrars in Aberdeen, their home town, to make the necessary arrangements but were shocked when officials rejected their reque... more
New North East audio archive
A great new audio archive, compiled by The Formartine Oral History Project, is to be launched at a meeting in Fyvie castle, Aberdeenshire, on Saturday 19 April 2008. The audio archive comprises almost a hundred CDs of locals remembering, and speaking about, their lives in Formartine. In a few cas... more
Entries invited for Doric Competition
Entries are now invited as part of the Doric Festival writing competition. Competitors must either write a poem, short story or one-act play to be submitted by the deadline of 19 September 2008. Entries should contain a title page, the category entered, name of the entrant, and home address and t... more
About Aberdeen
A website dedicated to Aberdeen has included a small but useful introduction to North East Scots – known as ‘e Doric to its speakers – and also to the first ‘Doric’ film to be made as well. In 2008 Mark Stirton released his film ‘One Day Removals’ about two useless removal men and m... more
Scots wedding for Colin and Fiona
Scots language activist, Colin Wilson, married Fiona Henderson at a civil wedding on Saturday held entirely in the North East dialect of Scots.
To read more about the ceremony and to see a photo of the happy couple visit the Press and Journal web site at
http://www.pressandjournal.co. more
Joyce Falconer is Centre's Scots voice
In the next few weeks visitors to the Scots Language Centre will be able to listen to, as well as read, the Scots words which are described in the Scots Word of the Week feature on the Centre's home page.
People imagining they recognise the voice won't all be wrong as it belongs to Joyce Falc... more
First Doric feature film on youtube
Mark Stirton, the Aberdeen based producer of "One Day Removals", the first full length feature film in Doric, the North east dialect of Scots, has posted a trailer for the film on youtube.
The film and the trailer contain some strong language. more
MSP Writes on Wedding Row
Dr Bill Wilson, SNP MSP for the West of Scotland, has written to Linda Fabiani, the Scottish Government Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture, asking her to inform all Scotland’s registrars that they must conduct wedding ceremonies in Scots, if couples request it.
Dr Wilson’s l... more
Download 'The Brus' free
John Barbour's epic Scots poem, The Brus, is available as a free download on the web site of Aberdeen based cultural magazine, Leopard. The free download is accompanied by a short article on the life of Barbour by Derrick McClure of Aberdeen University.
The article and download are at http://w... more
Prize honours North East writer
A prize of £500 is to be awarded to the winner of a short story competition set up to commemorate the work of the North-East writer David Toulmin and to encourage further creative activity.
A short story of up to 4,000 words in length should be submitted by 31 March 2009 to Dr Ian Russell at ... more
MSP Spreads Scots from Aberdeen to Argentina!
Dr Bill Wilson, SNP MSP for the West of Scotland, shared his love of the Scots language with primary school pupils aboard The Reading Bus on Friday 16th January.
Dr. Wilson read two Scots poems by Hugh Macdiarmid, “The Watergaw” and “The Sauchs in the Reuch Heuch Hauch”, and talked abo... more
Launch of 'Nae Bad Ava!'
The Reading Bus, in conjunction with Aberdeenshire Council and Talisman Energy, has produced another anthology of poems in North East Scots, entitled ‘Nae Bad Ava!’. This comes a year on from the success of the previous book ‘Fit Like, Yer Majesty?’ which sold 10,000 copies worldwide. Thi... more
Organisations join to remember David Toulmin
The Scots Language Centre has joined forces with Leopard magazine and the Elphinstone Institute to promote the David Toulmin writing prize. The prize was established two years ago and celebrates the life and work of John Reid, the farm labourer from Buchan who was well known for much of his life ... more
Nae Mince in Moray goes viral
Nae Mince in Moray, the Doric rap that has featured as the Scots Language Centre’s youtube video selection over the past few weeks, has notched up thousands of new hits since it appeared on the SLC site.
The video – all about a Moray loon’s attempt to find some of his favourite food in l... more
Joyce Falconer talks about return to River City
Scots speaking actor, Joyce Falconer, has been back in BBC Scotland’s soap, River City, for the funeral of her small screen sister, Shona.
In this interview for STV, Joyce talks about the soap, her recent tour with the National Theatre of Scotland and how her famous cackle means that sh... more
Flittin, Nae Mince etc.
Weil, I'm back on bloggin efter a wee whilie awa. Jist flittit twa week syne, sae aye trying tae redd out a nummer o fankles that's no richt just yet.
It's guid tae see thon veidio "Nae Mince In Moray" daein sae weil up i the North East (jsit haed a scance at YouTube, an it's ower 42,000 vi... more
Nicht o Tradeetional Sangs
The Aiberdeen & Regional Oral History Associe is tae haud a tradeetional concert pairty on the nicht o Seturday 26 Aprile at the village haw, Logie Coldstone, by Tarland in Deeside, stertin aff at 7.30pm. On the nicht the’ll be tradeetional sangs in Scots, alang wi tradeetional jigs, an a comic... more
Storytelling Warkshop
Weel-kent poyet an screivar Sheena Blackhall is tae haud a storytelling warkshop for fowk in North East Scots, hostit bi the Grampian Associe o Storytellers. Sheena will mak uiss o sangs, poyems an stories for tae reenge the hail o the spoken an wrutten word o the North East. Sheena wad like fowk... more
Scots, Language of Kings
Dr Caroline Macafee will be giein a paper cryed ‘Scots, Language of Kings’ as ane o the public lectures at the Elphinstone Institute, the Versity o Aiberdeen. Mair parteeclars can be fund in the e-diary near the time. more
Banffshire Field Club
The Banffshire Field Club will be host tae J Derrick McClure on Seturday 8 December at the Community Centre, Banff Road, Keith, stertin at 2.15pm. Mr McClure will be speakin aboot the follaein subject: ‘Scotland in Europe, Europe in Scotland – The Tradition o Poetic Translation.’ Amang ithe... more
Doric Cabaret Evening
As pairt o the city o Aiberdeen’s St Andra’s Weekend, the Associe o Grampian Storytellers is haein a Doric Cabaret Eening on Seturday 1 December at Union Terrace Gairdens, Aiberdeen, fae 7.30pm til 10.15pm. The nicht sterts oot wi a walcome tae the guests an pipers o the Buchan Pipe Baund. Th... more
Launch of Doric Book
Aberdeen City Council's 'Reading Bus' will be launching a new book of poems in North East Scots - the Doric - at a day event at Fyvie Castle. The book, entitled 'Fit Like, Yer Majesty?' contains 47 winning poems selected from 200 entries and is aimed at 8-14 year olds. For more information please... more
Launch of 'Nae Bad Ava!'
The 2009 Word Festival will take place at King's College Conference Centre, University of Aberdeen, and has as its theme the heritage of North East Scotland. The book 'Nae Bad Ava!' will also be officially launched. This book contains 44 poems written in Scots by people of ages ranging from 8 to ... more
Bannock n a round, flat, thickish cake often baked on a girdle
Bannock appears in Old English as bannuc and traces its origins back to the Latin panis or panicium meaning bread. They have been staples of both diet and language. They are usually made of oatmeal, barley, pease or flour, although the Pitcaithly bannock is a bit more swanky, being a kind of shor... more
