Celebrating Scots

My first ever Burn’s night in Scotland passed by without so much as a raised glass of whisky in the national poet’s name. Despite this unpatriotic fact I have been celebrating the delights of Scotland in the best way I know how- through reading.

This selection of Scottish literary delights came wrapped up as a package in the post from D’s mum who has an extraordinary library full of interesting books.

Although I am a literature girl at heart this tiny but perfectly formed glossary of old Scots got my heart racing. I love listening to people talking with strong British accents and hearing different turns of phrase used in different parts of the UK. When I moved to Belfast in my gap year I loved my Irish friends’ use of the word whenever. When they said sentences beginning with; ‘whenever I go to the shops…’, they weren’t talking in the past tense about the multiple times they go shopping but in the future tense about planning to go the shop. In a similar way I love the way that Edinburgh natives ask me where I ‘stay’ rather than live (but I’m sure I overheard someone talking about their holiday and saying that they ‘lived’ in a nice hotel- I sometimes feel like my English phrases are the wrong way around here!)

When we were exploring in an autumnal Anstruther I saw this written on the pavement next to a freshly painted window frame.

So, although I don’t seem to be picking up the accent (unfortunately I can’t even do a passable impression) I am revelling in the accented English I hear spoken all around me and only hope to one day overhear a Scots language conversation on which I can unashamedly eavesdrop. I will leave you with a poem by Burns which, although its title and opening line seem to spell romance, is an ode to independence. It is the perfect antidote to all of the Valentine’s Day hype.
I hae a wife o' my ain by Robert Burns

I hae a wife o' my ain,
I'll partake wi' naebody;
I'll tak cuckold frae nane,
I'll gie cuckold to naebody.

I hae a penny to spend,
There, thanks to naebody;
I hae naething to lend,
I'll borrow frae naebody.

I am naebody's lord,
I'll be slave to naebody;
I hae a gude braid sword,
I'll tak dunts frae naebody.

I'll be merry and free,

I'll be sad for naebody;

Naebody cares for me,

I care for naebody.