Poetry in Scots

Poetry in the Scots language began to be written down in the 14^th century, beginning with John Barbour’s ‘The Brus’, and continuing through the makars of the 15^th and 16^th centuries. The poetic revival of the 18^th century led to the work of Robert Burns, and many others, and Scots poetry has continued to be composed in both general and regional forms down to the present day. Poetry probably remains the most common medium by which most Scottish people experience the fullness of Scots as a language and as a written, literary tradition. This section of the website contains articles related to the various traditions of writing poetry in Scots and, in particular, our Poem of the Month, as recommended by the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh. The Scots Language Centre has a growing collection of audio and video material related to poetry in Scots, so please check it out. 

Poem of the Month