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Scots Language Centre Centre for the Scots Leid

Wee Windaes launch at NLS

1st December 2016

Today (1 December) saw the official launch of the National Library of Scotland’s website for Scots called ‘Wee Windaes’. Hamish MacDonald, appointed Scots Screivar at the NLS, developed the site from a selection of texts written in Scots between the 15th and 20th centuries. The site is made up of a series of ‘windaes’ which take the visitor to information on certain texts, their background, and writers. John Swinney who is the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Education, officially launched the site and commented “The Scots Language is an essential element of our nation’s culture and heritage and this Government is committed to promoting and preserving it in all its distinct regional and local variants, which is spoken by around 1.5 million people.” As the site develops more contemporary texts in Scots will be added. National Library librarian John Scally also said that “By using the website, people will be able to get a better understanding of how Scots has been used and how it has changed over five centuries.”