Scots Language Centre

Easter

The Scots Language Centre is marking Lent and Easter with a series of specially selected readings from the Scots New Testament.
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Blog

Mind on the birdies at the ice lowsin

Whiles the news this week hae been taen owre by the weather an reporters gien oot dire warnins tae us aw aboot 'the beast fae the east', steyin safe, an heighlichtin the rid an amber alerts fae the Met Office, the Royal Society fir the Protection o Birds (RSPB) is pittin oot its ain rid alert pleadin wi awbody that loes wildlife tae gie natur a wee haund. Thae are awfy worrit aboot starlins,

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Anither Shot at the Baw

This puckle o airticles haes its oreeginal in speirings amang fitba clubs an bodies atween the years 1998 an 2001read more

Hoots mon! Whaur's ma leid?

The language of Mary Queen of Scotsread more

West Central

This dialect covers a large area known as West Central Scots, though speakers usually call their dialect Scots or Scotchread more

William Soutar and Scots language

William Soutar wrote in English & Scots, many of the poems forming the Bairn Rhymes... read more

Peter Kinnen

The well-known Beatrix Potter story 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit' has been translated into Scots by Lyn read more

Wee Windaes

Explore the National Library
of Scotland's collection of Scots language documents.

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Numbers and Time

Just as the year is divided into seasons, months and days, the day is divided into hours and times. Scots, like other languages, has its own way of expressing these concepts..read more

Scots in Photos

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Glunch, drunt an pet

This is the windae at the museum o Rabbie Burns's caufgrund in Allowa ('Alloway'), Ayrshire. The tap word is glunch, an ...
Manse cottage o Liff

This hoose is in Liff tae the wast o Dundee. The word manse is sprung fae the Latin mansio meaning tae bide or stey, an ...
Tam o Shanter Close

This close is on the heich gait o Ayr an wis cryed efter thon namely body Tam o Shanter in the poyem bi Burns. A close i...
Horse Wynd

The Horse Wynd is in Embra ('Edinburgh'). A wynd is ony narra wey that runs aff a main gait an gaes atween hooses. Pho...
Miekle Cossans

Miekle Cossans is a ferm on the gait sooth o Kirrie, in Angus. Miekle is a mair orra spelling o meikle, or mickle, baith...
Haste ye back til Ayr

This banner hings at the heich gait o Ayr. Tae the richt side it reads 'haste ye back'. In Scots it's lang been the trad...
Ravenscraig

This buird wi a waling fae a poyem anent Ravenscraig can be seen at the National Museum o Scotland, in Embra ('Edinburgh...
Violet Jacob

Here a swatch o the Muckle Tapestry o Scotland that aince bade in the Scots Pairlament but is noo gauin-roond Scotland. ...
Newbrig News

This shop is on the heich gait o Ayr. A brig is whit lats a body gae ower watter, ower an abuin a street, or fae ane sid...
Plooms an tatties

This buird is furth a shop in the merchant city o Glesca ('Glasgow'). At the tap o the farin is soor plooms an lucky ta...