By Andrew Greig.

Read by Liam Brennan.

A poet reflects upon a romantic encounter from his youth, which taught him the value of language and the nature of identity.

First in a series of stories commissioned to mark the centenary of the birth of the Highland poet Sorley MacLean. Awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1990, MacLean is regarded as the greatest Gaelic poet of the Twentieth Century, giving new literary standing to a language which has at times seemed close to extinction.

MacLean was born in October 1911 on Raasay, a small island lying off the east coast of Skye, into a family immersed in Highland history and culture. It is often said that what Hugh MacDiarmid did for Scots, Sorley MacLean did for Gaelic, sparking a Gaelic renaissance in Scottish literature. He was also instrumental in preserving and promoting the teaching of Gaelic in Scottish schools. He died in 1996.

Produced by Kirsteen Cameron. Show less