Happy Birthday Scots Language Society

It was 36 years ago this year that the Scots Language Society was formed. At an open meeting held in May 1972 in the Wee Windaes Restaurant, High Street, Edinburgh (which is still there today), a group of like-minded Scots decided to form a society dedicated to the Scots language. It was decided the organisation would be named The Lallans Society, though, since those days, it has come to be known as The Scots Language Society (in English) and The Scots Leid Associe (in Scots). The first conference (now known as the annual collogue) was held at Stirling University in June 1972 while the first edition of the Society journal – named Lallans – was published in 1973. Dr George Philp, best known for his creation of Scotsoun and Scotseen, was elected first preses (president) and Hugh MacDiarmid, Robert McLellan and Helen Cruikshank were approached to stand as Hon. President, Hon. Vice-President (Poetry) and Hon Vice-President (Prose and Drama). The prime concern of those who founded and continued the Society was to provide a forum for the use of exploratory prose, transactional language, and some standardisation of Scots in preparation for a day when Scots might come back into semi-official use within Scotland. At the same time, Lallans journal provided the perfect vehicle for new, contemporary writing in Scots, whether poetry or prose, while the annual collogue ensured a venue for writers, poets and singers in Scots – children or adults – to come together to explore and celebrate the language. The Scots Language Society is still going strong, and continuing to publish Lallans, and can be contacted at: mail@lallans.co.uk

Presidents of the Scots Language Society
1972-1974 George Philp
1974-1977 Alexander Scott
1977-1979 William Graham
1979-1984 Alexander Scott
1984-1987 David Purves
1987-1990 Gavin McEwan
1990-1993 Raymond Vettese
1993-1995 Neil MacCallum
1995-1998 John Law
1998-1999 Rod Lovie
1999-2000 Dauvit Horsbroch
2000-2004 Irene McGugan
2004-2008 Tom Band
2008- Christine Robinson

Honorary Presidents of the Scots Language Society
1972-1978 Hugh MacDiarmid
1979-1986 Robert McLellan
1986-1989 Alexander Scott
1990-1994 JK Annand
1994-1998 Prof AJ Aitken
1998- present William Neill