Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Making Contact | 20111018 | 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. A poet reflects upon lessons learned from a failed affair. |
| 02 | The Girl With The Red Hair | 20111019 | By Mairi MacLeod. Read by Mairi Morrison. A young Skye woman, Eilidh, stops for a break during a walk in the Cuillin mountains. In her rucksack she carries a recent gift: the collected poems of Sorley MacLean. As she begins to read, she hears a woman singing and is transported by the sadness in her voice. Who is the stranger; what tragedy has she suffered? Second in a series of stories specially commissioned to mark the centenary of the birth of the Highland poet Sorley MacLean. A warded 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. A woman has a mystical experience while walking in Skye's Cuillin mountains. |
| 03 | Hallaig | 20111020 | By Iain Finlay MacLeod. Read by Tony Kearney. A man reflects upon the consequences of a decision made too lightly. Hebridean writer Iain Finlay MacLeod completes this series of stories specially commissioned to mark the centenary of the birth of the Gaelic poet Sorley MacLean. The title of this story refers to MacLean's great poem 'Hallaig', while lines from the poem 'The Choice' are central to the story's theme. Both poems can be read in full on MacLean's official website (see link opposite). Sorley 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. Awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1990, he is regarded as the greatest Gaelic poet of the Twentieth Century, giving new literary standing to a language which at times seemed close to extinction. Produced by Kirsteen Cameron. |