Linmill Stories

Last updated

Linmill Stories is the title of a short story cycle written by the playwright Robert McLellan in the Scots language. He began writing the stories in 1939, publishing some of them piecemeal and separately throughout the post-war years until, in the 1960s, the whole cycle was broadcast on radio in Scotland to great critical acclaim. The complete cycle was eventually gathered and published posthumously in 1990.

Modern writing in Scots is relatively rare and predominantly focussed on poetry and dramatic dialogue. McLellan's achievement in fine Scots prose is generally seen, alongside that of William Laughton Lorimer, as being the most important of the mid-twentieth century period.


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doric dialect (Scotland)</span> Northeastern dialect of the Scots language

Doric, the popular name for Mid Northern Scots or Northeast Scots, refers to the Scots language as spoken in the northeast of Scotland. There is an extensive body of literature, mostly poetry, ballads, and songs, written in Doric. In some literary works, Doric is used as the language of conversation while the rest of the work is in Lallans Scots or British English. A number of 20th and 21st century poets have written poetry in the Doric dialect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Henryson</span>

Robert Henryson was a poet who flourished in Scotland in the period c. 1460–1500. Counted among the Scots makars, he lived in the royal burgh of Dunfermline and is a distinctive voice in the Northern Renaissance at a time when the culture was on a cusp between medieval and renaissance sensibilities. Little is known of his life, but evidence suggests that he was a teacher who had training in law and the humanities, that he had a connection with Dunfermline Abbey and that he may also have been associated for a period with Glasgow University. His poetry was composed in Middle Scots at a time when this was the state language. His writing consists mainly of narrative works. His surviving body of work amounts to almost 5000 lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish literature</span> Writings from the island of Ireland

Irish literature comprises writings in the Irish, Latin, English and Scots languages on the island of Ireland. The earliest recorded Irish writing dates from the 7th century and was produced by monks writing in both Latin and Early Irish. In addition to scriptural writing, the monks of Ireland recorded both poetry and mythological tales. There is a large surviving body of Irish mythological writing, including tales such as The Táin and Mad King Sweeny.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish mythology</span> Mythologies of Scotland

Scottish mythology is the collection of myths that have emerged throughout the history of Scotland, sometimes being elaborated upon by successive generations, and at other times being rejected and replaced by other explanatory narratives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freuchie</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Freuchie is a village in Fife, Scotland, at the foot of the Lomond Hills, and near Falkland. The nearest major town is Glenrothes located 4 miles to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sauchiehall Street</span> Shopping street in Glasgow city centre

Sauchiehall Street is one of the main shopping streets in the city centre of Glasgow, Scotland, along with Buchanan Street and Argyle Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clan MacLellan</span> Lowland Scottish clan

The Clan MacLellan is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands. The clan does not currently have a chief therefore it is considered an Armigerous clan.

Florence Marian McNeill, was a Scottish folklorist, author, editor, suffragist and political activist. She is best known for writing The Silver Bough, a four-volume study of Scottish folklore; also The Scots Kitchen and Scots Cellar: Its Traditions and Lore with Old-time Recipes.

Andrew Rankin Cowie McLellan is a minister in the Church of Scotland. He was Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland from 2002 to 2009.

Robert McLellan OBE (1907–1985) was a Scottish renaissance dramatist, writer and poet and a leading figure in the twentieth century movement to recover Scotland’s distinctive theatrical traditions. He found popular success with plays and stories written in his native Scots tongue and is regarded, alongside William Lorimer, as one of the most important modern exponents of fine prose in the language.

MacLellan, McLellan, or variants thereof, is a surname of Scottish origin, some of whom emigrated to Ireland. The name is an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic Mac Gille Fhaolain, and the Irish Gaelic Mac Giolla Fhaoláin, which meant "son of the servant of (Saint) Faolán". The personal name, Faolán, is thought to be a diminutive of faol, meaning "wolf" or "little wolf".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirkfieldbank</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Kirkfieldbank is a small village and parish in Scotland, on the banks of the River Clyde. It is close to the town of Lanark and is part of the current South Lanarkshire local authority. The village of New Lanark is also close by, some ten minutes drive upstream.

Alexander Scott (1920–1989) was a Scottish poet, playwright and scholar born in Aberdeen. He wrote poetry in both Scots and Scottish English as well as plays, literary reviews and critical studies of literature. As a writer, scholar, dramatist, broadcaster, critic and editor, he showed a life-long commitment to Scottish literary culture. He was latterly a tutor and reader of Scottish literature at the University of Glasgow, where he was instrumental in establishing Scotland's first Department of Scottish Literature in the academic year 1971–72.

Kirstie McLellan Day is a Canadian author, journalist and former television host.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheena Blackhall</span>

Sheena Blackhall is a Scottish poet, novelist, short story writer, illustrator, traditional story teller and singer. Author of over 180 poetry pamphlets, 15 short story collections, 4 novels and 2 televised plays for children, The Nicht Bus and The Broken Hert. Along with Les Wheeler, she co-edits the Doric resource Elphinstone Kist, and has worked on the Aberdeen Reading Bus, as a storyteller and writer, also sitting on the editorial board for their children's publications in Doric, promoting Scots culture and language in the North East. In 2018 Aberdeen University awarded her the degree of Master of the University. In 2021 she was appointed SPL’s poetry ambassador for the Scots language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Literature of Northern Ireland</span>

That part of the United Kingdom called Northern Ireland was created in 1922, with the partition of the island of Ireland. The majority of the population of Northern Ireland wanted to remain within the United Kingdom. Most of these were the Protestant descendants of colonists from Great Britain.

Events from the year 1985 in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards</span>

The Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards are annual awards given to notable Scottish people. It is sponsored by the Scotch whisky company Glenfiddich, in association with The Scotsman newspaper. Nine awards are given out for art, business, environment, food, music, screen, sport, writing, and "Top Scot". A consulting panel nominates four people in each category, with the winner decided by public vote. The "Top Scot" category is an open award, with the public able to nominate anyone. The awards were established in 1998.

Rab Wilson is a Scottish poet who writes mainly in the Scots language. His works include a Scots translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, and the poetry books Accent o the Mind, Life Sentence, and A Map for the Blind.

Jamie the Saxt is a four act play in Scots by the Scottish dramatist, Robert McLellan, first produced by Curtain Theatre in Glasgow in 1937 with the actor Duncan Macrae in the title role. The historical subject of the comedy is the conflict between the king of Scots, James VI, and Francis Stewart, the rebellious 5th Earl of Bothwell, in the early 1590s.