Seven weeks today I’ll be surrounded by four fine traditional musicians and listening to beautiful Scots songs as we celebrate the genius of Robert Fergusson. Portobello is calling you. events.humanitix.com/fergussons-aul…
Maria João Kay
@joaokay.bsky.social
Lusitania, Caledonia, art, books, history and culture.
The importance of the skottehandelen can be gauged in the fact that 7 out of every 10 ships from Dundee were engaged “in bringin hame gret timmer”. To Norway too the trade was highly lucrative and its heyday in the 17th century is known locally as the Skottetiden The Scottish Period.
‘A Scottish poet maun assume The burden o’ his people’s doom, And dee to brak’ their livin’ tomb.' Hugh MacDiarmid, from A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle, first published one hundred years ago. Watch out for celebrations and a book with many fine contributors later this year.
My latest blog piece. The shameful anti-SNP hysteria of the British media in Scotland even spins good news into SNPbad as we saw this week with the media response to the news that the pass rate for exams in Scotland has increased for a second year. weegingerdug.wordpress.com/2026/08/05/e...
Even good news is spun into SNPbad by the media in Scotland
It’s often said there are two kinds of people in the world, those who say the glass is half full, and those who say it’s half empty. This is in fact inaccurate as there is a third kind,…
weegingerdug.wordpress.com
The Scottish Daily Mail's Michael BlackLIE, a bitter and unashamedly right-wing hack, thinks it's news that a "tycoon" who runs care homes opposes a plan for a national care service. The Daily Mail (the Izal of the press world) agrees and features it.
Ane that ye dinnae hear sae muckle nouadays is skeich, meanin supple and nimble. As ye get aulder ye realise ye’re no as skeich an swipper as ye were langsyne. The dsl.ac.uk has a puckle ither meanins, but this is the ane we yaised.
Dictionaries of the Scots Language
dsl.ac.uk
Billy Kay@billykayscot.bsky.social · last wk.A passage fae Born in Kyle on the Scots words we yaised ilka day growin up in a wee toon in Ayrshire in the 1950s. Ye can lug intae a wheen mair in the Audible version o the book.
If you live anywhere near St Andrews, join me for my talk there on the afternoon of the 18th. It is organised by the Preservation Trust who also support the excellent Hamewith exhibition on Scots at the St Andrews Heritage Museum. A good number has already signed up, but there’s aye room for mair.
Billy Kay@billykayscot.bsky.social · 6d agoAne that ye dinnae hear sae muckle nouadays is skeich, meanin supple and nimble. As ye get aulder ye realise ye’re no as skeich an swipper as ye were langsyne. The dsl.ac.uk has a puckle ither meanins, but this is the ane we yaised.
A friend asked if I was receiving any royalties from the Odyssey blockbuster film. Eh, no, but once upon a time in a major library in the States or Canada, I found a copy of my book with the Catalogue entry stating. “Odyssey. Billy Kay. (see Homer).” My work is done!
A passage from Scots The Mither Tongue on one of The earliest and most telling fragments of poetry in Scots - on the period of plenty in the reign of Alexander III and the tragedy of the Wars of Independence that followed his death. Listen to the whole book on Audible.
The Imbiber series covers the Scottish tradition of fine wine appreciation that goes back to the days of the Auld Alliance with France. You can also read about it here in the book. You can get signed copies from me.
Billy Kay@billykayscot.bsky.social · 2w agoA few of my classic series of radio documentaries are available here. So if you're interested in Scottish literature, language, nationalism, the Declaration of Arbroath, Don Roberto, the Complete Caledonian Imbiber etc etc you'll enjoy these. www.youtube.com/c/IndyMatter...
Just came across this pic of João and I taken at Disneyland Los Angeles in the summer of 1979 just after we got married. Cool California Dude & the Belle of Lisboa! Good Times 💃🕺
A passage fae Born in Kyle on the Scots words we yaised ilka day growin up in a wee toon in Ayrshire in the 1950s. Ye can lug intae a wheen mair in the Audible version o the book.
One unleashes the *hounds* of Hell, not the gates of Hell, you illiterate moron.
💬 “Andy Burnham doesn’t give a damn about Scotland - no Westminster Prime Minister ever will. Scotland’s problems need Scottish solutions. Only independence offers the opportunity for Scotland to thrive.” - Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp
A few of my classic series of radio documentaries are available here. So if you're interested in Scottish literature, language, nationalism, the Declaration of Arbroath, Don Roberto, the Complete Caledonian Imbiber etc etc you'll enjoy these. www.youtube.com/c/IndyMatter...
Laura Kuenssberg, Andrew Neil, and the BBC apparatus which gave Cambridge Analytica a chance to undermine @carolecadwalla.bsky.social’s investigation before it was published, called law breaking ‘rule breaking’, demeaned her as a mad cat lady, and fluffed Farage, deserve all the ignominy of history
📢 Your SNP government has spent £1.3 billion over the last 15 years fixing Westminster failures like the Bedroom Tax. ❌ Broken Brexit Britain is holding Scotland back - with the full powers of independence we can change Scotland’s future forever and for good.👇
September’s merry month is near…” when I’ll celebrate the brilliant poetry of Robert Fergusson and the music of 18th C Edinburgh with these outstanding traditional musicians live in Portobello in the afternoon of September 20th. Details here; events.humanitix.com/fergussons-aul…
The toxic influencer who has made "hyper-masculinity" his brand was arresting wearing Doris Day clam-digger slacks and a kicky purple blouse.
"The convicted criminal who funded Nigel Farage opened an account with an obscure overseas payments company days before it was used to channel an 'unexplained' £500,000 donation to Reform UK. Farage denies breaking any rules." via The Times
One service member is also missing in action following the strikes in Jordan.
Two U.S. Service Members Killed In Iranian Strikes Against Jordan
One service member is also missing in action following the strikes in Jordan.
forbes.com
Bravo, @billykayscot.bsky.social, well said.
The National@scotnational.bsky.social · 3w agoLegendary Scots campaigner Billy Kay received his honorary doctorate from St Andrews University - and spoke passionate of his pride in Scotland's civic national identity, from its scientific inventions to the soft power of the Tartan Army 🏴