Scots Language Centre

Tak a birl roon oor Solar System wi the Scots Language Centre's Orrery.

As lang as fowk hae straviged ower oor planet we've luiked oot tae space. We lairnt tae ken the stern an seen pattrens amang them, gied the names an personalities, an we telt stories aboot their adventures. The Sun an the Mune staun oot in oor sky, but amang the stern anly five wis seen fir tae muve on courses different fae the pattrens driftin athorth the luft. Thir wannerers cam kent as the planets. As oor scientific knawledge grew we luftit a gless tae the sky an fun mair wannerers boont tae oor sun, an fun thit thir planets wis warlds aw their ain.

Scots Poetry during Lockdoon

Whilst day to day life is affected by the health and safety precautions being taken in response to Covid 19 many people are responding in Scots poetry.

Here we gather together the poetry in Scots during this period.

The 1820 Radical Rising Anniversary

It was two hundred years ago – in April 1820 – that Scotland’s last attempted uprising took place. While you have no doubt heard of the Jacobites, of the 1745, and Bonnie Prince Charlie, you’ve probably never heard of this one.

The Screive fae Arbroath.

The 700 year anniversar o the Screive fae Arbroath faws on the 6t o Aprile. We hae a Scots owersettin fae the Latin that fowk can freely dounlaid ben the hoose.

Creative Writing in Scots Workshop

Award-winning Scots poet Dorothy Lawrenson will be running a one-day workshop on creative writing in Scots on Saturday, March 14th 2020 from 10am - 3pm in Broughton High School, Edinburgh. For more information, have a look at the Facebook event page: Creative Writing in …
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Kirk and Nation in Robert …

"In which Professor Gerard Carruthers will be arguing that the 1712 Patronage …

The Jolly Beggars

The Scots Opera Project present a new version of Burns’ The Jolly Beggars, …

Craig Sharp Annual Memorial …

The University of Glasgow's Centre for Robert Burns Studies and the Robert Burns …

Scots BookBug

As part of Book Week Scotland, there was a Scots BookBug session at Corstorphine …

What is Scots?

Scots is one of three native languages spoken in Scotland today, the other two being English and Scottish Gaelic. Scots is the collective name for Scottish dialects known also as ‘Doric’, ‘Lallans’ and ‘Scotch’ or by more local names such as ‘Buchan’, ‘Dundonian’, ‘Glesca’ or ‘Shetland’.

Thon heavy people...

Oh hullo there! Come in, come in an' sit doon, ah've jist pit the kettle oan tae byle.

Ah've got some fresh pancakes ah jist made this mornin that'll pit a smile oan yer wee face

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

Scots maps

Welcome to the first interactive map of Scotland with Scots place-names. Explore Scotland’s places in the names used by Scots speakers who live there.

Look at photos of Scots used around the country and make your own Scots place-name street signs.

Hansard Highlights

Sarah Mackie gathered clips of various Scottish members speeches with words & phrases from the Scots language

Hamish Imlach - The Calton Weaver/Nancy

I'm a weaver, a Calton weaver I'm a rash …
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woodworking in da Shetland dialect

Local Shetland broadcaster Phil Goodlad wa…
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The McCalmans - Twa Recruitin Sergeants

The McCalmans: Twa recruitin sergeants…
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Ronnie Browne --- The Floo'ers O' The Fo

"The Flowers Of The Forest" from Ronnie's …
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Luke Kelly: Battle Of The Somme/Freedom

Roch the win i the clear day's dawin Blaw…
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History of Scots as a medium of politics

Ever since John Barbour put quill to parchment in the 1370’s, people have been debating and discussing political matters on paper through the Scots language, and long before that era, in Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse.

Lunt an Wean

Thir twa words is on ane o the waws at the Rabbie Burns caufgrund museum, in Ayrshire. The word lunt can mean twa-three …

Bonnie Scotland

This van bides in Monifieth, in Angus. Ower the tap o the windae it reads Bonnie Scotland. The word bonnie haes been in ui…

Lochgilpheid sweeties

The Sweetie Jar in Lochgilpheid ('Lochgilphead') in Argyll. In Scots oor ordnar word is sweetie, while in Inglis it is &qu…

Cumbrae cludgies

This blad belangs the muckle isle o the Cumbraes in the Firth o Clyde. The word cludgie is weel kent braid Scotland an is …

Boatie Row

Boatie Row is in Cowie by Steenhive ('Stonehaven'). The'r an auld sang in Scots cryed 'The Boatie Rows' that Burns threapi…

Nae ill in Brig Allan

A quote postit in a shop windae in Brig Allan, Stirlinshire. In a warld whaur fowk is that insnorled throu the wab we affe…

Be thankit

This office in Glesca ('Glasgow') haes on its wa the weel kent quote fae the Rabbie Burns Grace anent meat an thaim haes h…

Blether Dundee

This poster wis seen jist aff the Coogait o Dundee. The word blether haes been recordit in Scots fae at least the 15t cent…

Upside Doon

A sark fae the Upside Doon music fest seen in the shop at Allowa ('Alloway') in Ayrshire. Photie taen bi Katrina MacLeod.…

Wee haggis

Haggis is a dish that's been etten in Scotland fae the Middle Ages. The word hagas or hagese kythes in auld registers aroo…

Oor Vyce launches

Today new group Oor Vyce launched its campaign calling on the Scottish Government to extend legal protection to the Scots language community.Oor Vyce brings together academics, entertainers, political campaigners and writers who want the Scottish Parliament to pass a law similar …
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