Originally published in 1978, this book explores the relationship between the Gaelic and English spheres of life, from the life of the bilingual Gael, in the confrontation of Highland and Lowland Scotland and the literary expressions of these. It is argued that the picture of Gaelic society that is popularly accepted does not owe its form to any simple observation, but to symbolic and metaphorical requirements imposed by the larger society. Beginning with the birth of the Romantic movement and moving on to modern Gaelic literature and anthropological studies, aspects of the relationship of a dominant to a ‘minority’ culture are raised. The racial stereotypes of Celt and Anglo-Saxon that were widely accepted in the 19th Century are also discussed, and the understanding of how a dominant intellectual world has used Gaelic society in the process of seeking its own definition is pursued through a study of the concepts of ‘folklore’ and the ‘folk’.

This book, originally published in 1988, examines the Highlands and Islands of Scotland over several centuries and charts their cultural transformation from a separate region into one where the processes of anglicisation have largely succeeded. It analyses the many aspects of change including the policies of successive governments, the decline of the Gaelic language, the depressing of much of the population into peasantry and the clearances.

In this extensive study of the changing role of Gaelic in modern Scotland, Wilson McLeod looks at the policies of government and the work of activists and campaigners who have sought to maintain and promote Gaelic.

This book examines how the intellectual developments of the Scottish Enlightenment undermined Scotland's sense of nationalism.

Searchable online reference covers more than 20 centuries of history, and interpret history broadly, covering areas such as archaeology, climate, culture, languages, immigration, migration, and emigration. Multi-authored entries analyze key themes such as national identity, women and society, living standards, and religious belief across the centuries in an authoritative yet approachable way. The A-Z entries are complemented by maps, genealogies, a glossary, a chronology, and an extensive guide to further reading.--From title screen.

Marshall Walker's lively and readable account of the highs and lows of Scottish literature from this important date to the present addresses the important themes of democracy, power and nationhood. Disposing of stereotypical ideas about Scotland and the Scots, this fresh approach to Scottish literature provides a critical interpretation of its distinctive style and presents the reader with an informative introduction to Scottish culture. Coverage includes the Scottish enlightenment and the world of Boswell and David Hulme to the 'Scottish Renaissance', associated with Hugh MacDiarmaid. Developments in the contemporary literary scene include John McGrath's theatre Company and the fiction and poetry of Alaistar Gray and Ian Crichton Smith. Particular attention is given to the work of Scottish women writers such as Lady Grizel Baillie and Liz Lochhead, who have been much neglected in previous literature.