Rampant Scotland Directory!

Literature and Poetry

Not just Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson but a wide range of authors and their works are included here, ranging from "The Brus" by John Barbour to modern authors such as Muriel Spark or Alistair MacLean. The poetry section is of course dominated by Robert Burns. There is a separate page for links to all the specific Books and Texts

A selection of books on Scottish-related subjects, available for purchase via Amazon.co.uk is available on the Bookstore page on this site.

If you want to look for any books on Amazon.co.uk which are not listed below, use the search box below:

Search:
Keywords:
In Association with Amazon.co.uk



Separator line


Literature

Gateway to Scottish Authors

The Gateway contains quality internet links for about eighty Scottish authors from the past and also has a page of biographical information taken from the Scottish Library Association publication "Discovering Scottish Writers". There is also a Timeline which arranges all the authors in chronological sequence of their year of birth. All the major Scottish writers are covered, including:

Books from Scotland

The Publishing Scotland (formerly the Scottish Publishers' Association) has launched this Website to make it easier for people around the world to buy books by Scottish writers. Their online bookshop contains 15,000 books as well as a wealth of Scottish literary and cultural information to assist the most ardent bibliophile, historian and genealogist. It is the largest source in the world for anyone wanting to find out about and buy fiction and non-fiction books from and about Scotland. Unique features of the site include the ability to search by settings and author location, a news and events diary, and its wealth of information such as author biographies, reviews, a writer in residence, and an adult literacy section - all combined with bookselling. There are plans to also introduce new features such as audio links to writers reading their own works, short films, dedicated space for interest groups in other art forms such as films, writing courses and advice, and dedicated space for writers and new writing.

Books, Reading and Writing - BRAW

This is a network for Scottish children’s books, set up under the umbrella of the Scottish Book Trust and funded by the Scottish Arts Council to promote books, reading and writing for young people, by authors and illustrators living in Scotland.You can search the database of contemporary Scottish children's books, browse the author and illustrator listings to find out more about your favourite children's authors and illustrators resident in Scotland, take part in an online bookclub, find fun stuff to do on the kids pages, read about great reading and writing initiatives taking place across Scotland and lots, lots more ...

Edinburgh Picturesque Notes

The complete text of a book describing Edinburgh's legends, Greyfriars, the New Town, Calton Hill, Winter and New Year and "To the Pentland Hills".

Nigel Tranter Appreciation

This is an appreciation, written in the 90th year of his life, of Scotland's foremost historical novelist, Nigel Tranter. There is a biography section, list of books and a special section on Nigel Tranter's love affair with Scottish Castles.

Association for Scottish Literary Studies

The aim of the association is to promote the study, teaching and writing of Scottish literature, and to further the study of the languages of Scotland. So it publishes works of Scottish literature; literary criticism, cultural studies and in-depth reviews of books in Scottish Studies Review and other works in English, Scots and Gaelic.

A major element of the Association for Scottish Literary Studies Web site is the Scottish Writing Exhibition which brings the best of Scotland's literary culture to exhibits, conventions and book fairs around the world. The associated Web site includes information on and links to departments of Scottish Studies, e.g. South Carolina, East Tennessee State and Simon Fraser. There is also information on STAR, Scotland's Transatlantic Relations project, including the related new MSc course, Literature and Transatlanticism, at the University of Edinburgh and Transatlantic Literary Studies. The Scottish Writing Exhibition has also launched a Scottish Studies ezine - the twice-yearly newsletter will include articles by prominent academics working in the field of Scottish Studies, information on new publications in the US and in Scotland, details of conferences on Scottish authors taking place around the world, and profiles of Scottish Studies scholars so that you can get to know your international colleagues.

The Association for Scottish Literary Studies has also launched a new ezine called The Bottle Imp - named after one of Robert Louis Stevenson's short stories. The ezine covers a lot of ground, with articles on such subjects as the historical relationship between Scotland and America and the latest publications on Scottish literature and culture.

National Library of Scotland

There are a number of resources available here. The National Library of Scotland Bibliography of Scottish Literature in Translation (BOSLIT) is a project to develop an online bibliography of translations of Scottish writing, including not only books but also items published in journals and anthologies. It aims to provide a resource for the reading public, translators and researchers. With over 60,000 records of books, periodicals and major articles of Scottish interest published all over the world. BOSLIT aims to serve the needs of academic researchers, writers and translators, libraries, schools, literature administrators and general readers.

Walter Scott Digital Archive

This is an Edinburgh University Library online resource designed around the extensive Corson Collection of Walter Scott material held in their Special Collections. There is an Online Image Database based primarily on the visual materials and realia contained in Edinburgh University Library's Corson Collection, including portraits of Scott and of people associated with Scott, art inspired by his novels and poems, illustrations to editions of his works, and pictures of places associated with Scott. The Image Collection also contains manuscripts of Scott's works and correspondence drawn from the Corson Collection and the Library's Laing Collection.

The site also has Synopses of Scott's Major Works together with bibliographical information on first editions, a brief history of their composition, and details of reception by public and critics. They are illustrated by prints from the Corson Collection, complete reproductions of which may be found in the Image Database.

Children's Stories

A collection of a good number of stories for children with a Scottish flavour by Edinburgh born Margo Fallis (who now lives in Australia), presented by Electric Scotland.

Tartan Hen Publications

This site has a new way of publishing books. On this website you will find the text of some novels by Hugh Noble which you can download without incurring any obligation to pay. You are asked to pay afterwards by post, and only if you have liked what you have read.

Wigtown Booktown

Highlights the concentration of bookshops, dealers and publishers in the town. There are also text-only pages on history and heritage, visitor attractions and accommodation.

NorthWords

This is the on-line version of 'NorthWords', the magazine from the north of Scotland for short fiction and poetry.

No Mean City

An unusual mixture of literature, Glasgow dating agency, news, and chat links. The literature element includes a number of novels with a Scottish/Glasgow bias from authors such as Donald Grant McDonald, Jay Brenner and Colin Love.

McGregor's Bookshop

A privately owned and family run business, situated in Kelso, in the heart of the Scottish Borders. It specializes in all books and videos of Scottish interest, but especially those relating to the Scotish Borders. Due to an association with local authors, publishers and printers, they have a large collection of these for sale, many signed by the authors.

Scottish Book Trust

An organisation promoting books, reading and writers in Scotland.

Paraig MacNeil

Paraig MacNeil describes himself as a Scottish Traditional Storyteller/Singer/Folklorist/Bard/Tutor. He tells stories mostly in English/Scots but can also perform in Gaelic or a mixture of all. He tells epic tales of the Fianna, clan legends, histories and genealogies, wonder tales, tales of seal-folk and the sea, comic tales of wise fools, place name stories, stories of emigration, Jacobites and the Wars of Independence. He performs in schools, libraries, community venues festivals, country house hotels, castles, etc.

An Sgeulaiche

An Sgeulaiche (An skayl-uCH-ah, Gàidhlig, The StoryTeller) is a professional, traditional Highland Storyteller or Seanachaidh who can be engaged to tell stories on a wide range of occasions. The subjects of tales include Selkies, about 20 Scots Clanns, Jacobites, Crofting, Mary Queen of Scots, Covenanters, The Appin Murders, and Traditional Healing Tales.

Kettillonia

A publishing firm based in Fife which publishes rare and neglected poetry and diverse prose, predominantly in Scots. Recent authors are Muriel Stuart, Angus Calder, Ellie McDonald and Ian McDonough. The site contains extracts of some of the works available.



Poetry

A Selection of Scottish Poetry

And a large selection it is too - over 160 poems and growing all the time!

Scottish Poetry Library

The Scottish Poetry Library is the place for poetry in Scotland. Founded in 1984, it has amassed a remarkable collection of books and tapes with an emphasis on 20th century poetry written in Scotland (in Scots and Gaelic as well as English). The catalogue of the content of the library is searchable on-line and they can lend by post copies of the books/tapes to European addresses. There is also a "Lost for Words" where you can ask the Library - and then the world at large - to identify poems (or respond if you recognise the item). The helpful SPL staff also respond to e-mail enquiries.

The Robert Burns Club of Milwaukee

Complete works of Robert Burns, indexed by title, first line, genre, biography, glossary of 2,000 words of Scots dialect and a "concordance" - all the words in Burns poems listed alphabetically and linked to the poems in which they appear. Wow!

Burns Country

A Burns Encyclopedia with full text of the authoritative Robert Burns reference volume, for students or enthusiasts alike; the complete works of Robert Burns, with glossary translation of harder Burns words into German, French, Spanish, and American; everything you need to know about how to organise a perfect Burns Supper; the best of Robert Burns, translated into English; all about the Burns Heritage Park, Burns Cottage, Burns Monument, Burns Museum, Brig O'Doon, Auld Kirk o' Alloway, and the Tam O'Shanter Experience.; links to the best Burns resources.

Burns Federation

The primary aim of the Burns Federation is to establish that worldwide and all-embracing brotherhood of man which was the highest ideal of the poet himself. More than a thousand clubs and societies have been affiliated.

Winnipeg Robert Burns Club

The club was established in 1907 and is the oldest, continuously existing federated Burns Club outside the United Kingdom. In addition to club events and functions, the Web site tells the story of the statue to Burns in Winnipeg - which took 25 years from the initial concept to its unveiling.

12 Things You Must Know About Robert Burns

A sometimes whimsical list of 12 Things You Must Know About Robert Burns. Some of the facts may surprise you such as there being more public statues of Robert Burns around the world than any other writer and that Auld Lang Syne has appeared in well over 40 Hollywood films.

Scottish Poetry Blog

Aiming to be a central resource for all Scottish poetry-loving bloggers this Facebook site contains links to online resources and is updated on a regular basis with topics such as poem of the week, poetry news and events, essays, poet profiles, new Scottish poets.

Robert Burns at the National Library of Scotland

This site is largely based on material by or relating to 'Scotland's Bard' which is held by the National Library of Scotland, including pages giving highlights of the Library's significant resources - whether original letters or poems (see Manuscripts page) or important books (see Books page). There are sections giving a biography of Burns, his travels and music and Tam O'Shanter.

Burns Howff Club

Formed in the Globe Inn, Dumfries, in 1889, the Burns Howff Club meets on the 25th January each year to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns in 1759 with a "Burns Supper". The club has an extensive library of Burns works and other Scottish literary figures and members are always pleased to welcome visitors to the Globe Inn and Dumfries.

My Supper With Rabbie

This web site offers ideas and tips for planning a Burns Supper, as well as original poems, toasts and addresses. You'll also find some Burns poetry here, and some recipes as well as some links to other sites dedicated to the Immortal Memmory.

William Topaz McGonagall Appreciation Society

A website dedicated to the 'worst poet in the world' who had an unshakeable faith in his own brilliance. See for yourself from the examples on the site!

Willam Topaz McGonagall

A comprehensive guide to the life and works of McGonagall, including his remarkable (and unintentionally hilarious) autobiography. Lots of examples of his poetry, articles on McGonagle and his works, an advanced search facility and links to other McGonagall sites on the Web.

James Hogg Society

The James Hogg Society is hosted by Stirling University. It is dedicated to James Hogg (1770-1835), known as the "Ettrick Shepherd" who published poems, songs and novels.

James McIntyre: The Cheese Poet

Described as Canada's worst poet, McIntyre was born in Forres, Scotland in 1827 and emigrated to Canada at the age of fourteen, in 1841. This site gives a number of examples of his work - which make William McGonagall look like a good poet.

William Soutar

This site originated as a "William Soutar Walk" or "haik" around Perth, identifying sites which Soutar had either written about or had referred to in his poetry. The physical walk has yet to be established but the website allows a "virtual" walk, by showing the sites from photographs, some contemporary with Soutar's time and some present day photographs. Included in the website is a map showing the various locations, and whilst some are reached easily from a walk round the immediate environs of the city centre, others will require a little more energetic approach to visit Kinnoull Hill and Callar Fountain on Mailer Hill. The poems acompaning the photographs have been read by the six Soutar Fellows and there is also a select bibliography of the works of Soutar and a select list of books and articles on Soutar and his poetry and life.

Robert William Service

Son of English and Scottish parents, Service was educated in Scotland and emigrated to Canada in 1896. While working in the Yukon he became a writer, his most famous work being the poem to "Dangerous Dan McGrew" though he wrote many other poems and stories, mainly about the Yukon and Klondike.

Oot The Windae

The Web site for a book of reminiscences in verse of childhood in Glasgow with references to the "Tanner Ball" and the back court midden (for the storage of refuse) and the "scramble" for coins at a weding. All based on anecdotes and observations of people and characters that used to visit Glasgow streets when the author was a child.

Separator line

Where else would you like to go in Scotland?

Separator line