Project ERSKINE | Radical Gaelic Magazines 1900s – 1930s

Image: early photograph of Erskine used in The Whirlwind in 1890; ‘The Address of Ruadir, Son of Martach, to Ben Avon,' The Highland News (13 May 1899)

His early poems and prose in English which appeared in periodicals such as The Highland News and The Celtic Monthly show an influence of James Macpherson's Ossianic publications, a topic in which Erskine retained a lifelong interest.

Ruaraidh Erskine of Mar was born 'Stuart Richard Erskine' #OTD 15 January 1869 in Brighton. From the 1890s onwards, he gradually changed his name, developed his Scottish identity, and learnt Gaelic. Find out more about Erskine and his publications: tinyurl.com/yr8mem2j

New substantial essay by Tòmas MacAilpein on Aonghas MacEanraig | Angus Henderson (1866–1937), one of the most important and prolific contributors of journalistic writing to Erskine's magazines, has been published in the latest issue of the journal Aiste. Available in open access.

An event to celebrate Donald Sinclair (1885–1932), one of the most prolific and versatile contributors to Erskine's magazines, will be held on 5 December, with Aonghas Mac Leòid, a leading expert on Sinclair's work and author of the new Scotnote Study Guide: asls.org.uk/publications...

New Project Erskine publication: 'Folklore Material in Ruaraidh Erskine’s Gaelic Magazines', published in the latest issue of the Review of Scottish Culture 30:1 (2025). Available in open access: journals.ed.ac.uk/rosc/issue/v...

Image: Stewart Carmichael's illustration for MacBean's essay ‘An Saoghal Eile ann an Rìoghachd Fiob’ published in An Ròsarnach (1921).

Lachlann MacBheathain | Lachlan MacBean was born #OTD 6 November 1853 in Kiltarlity. MacBean was a journalist, editor, and Gaelic author, and he compiled the directory The Celtic Who’s Who (1921). His writing appeared regularly in Erskine's magazines. erskine.glasgow.ac.uk/people/lachl...

The 'accepted manuscript' version of the article is available in OA via Project Erskine: erskine.glasgow.ac.uk/outcomes/

An article on 'The Visual Dimension of Ruaraidh Erskine's Scottish Magazines' by @poncarova.bsky.social has just appeared in the Journal of the Scottish Society for Art History 30 (2025-26) ssah.org.uk, discussing artworks by Stewart Carmichael, Andrew Scott Rankin, Hugh Munro, and Haldane MacFall.

Laing's Mòd-winning poem ‘Am Fiabhras nach Fhaigh Bàs’ [The Fever That Will Not Die] is included in the anthology '100 Bliadhna de Bhàird a’ Chomuinn Ghàidhealaich 1923 – 2023' (CLÀR, 2023), ed. @gillebride.bsky.social. clar.online/product/100-...

Ùisdean Laing | Hugh Laing was born #OTD 11 October 1889 in South Uist, and spent most of his life in Australia. His own writing and translations into Gaelic appeared in Erskine's magazines and later in Gairm. He received the Bardic Crown in 1965. Find out more: erskine.glasgow.ac.uk/people/hugh-...

Scotnote 46 Aonghas MacLeòid Published in: paperback, 128 pages By: Association for Scottish Literature, 2025 Price: £6.95 ISBN 9781906841645 Order from Hive.co.uk Dòmhnall Mac na Ceàrdaich (Donald Sinclair…

Great to see the new Scotnote Study Guide on 'The Gaelic Writings of Dòmhnall Mac na Ceàrdaich' by Aonghas MacLeòid, published by @asls.org.uk. Dòmhnall Mac na Ceàrdaich | Donald Sinclair (1885–1932) was one of the most prolific and innovative contributors to Erskine's periodicals.

Aonghas MacDhonnchaidh | Angus Robertson was born #OTD 6 October 1871 in Breakish, Skye. Author of one of the two earliest Gaelic novels and an important figure in Gaelic initiatives in Glasgow, Robertson also contributed to Erskine's magazines. Find out more: erskine.glasgow.ac.uk/people/angus...

Today is National Poetry Day in Scotland! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Erskine’s magazines provided a platform for publishing new poetry in Gaelic, English, and Scots. They featured the works of 8 winners of the Bardic Crown at the National Mòd. Find out more: erskine.glasgow.ac.uk/topics/poetry/

30 September is the International Translation Day! Erskine’s magazines published a substantial amount of translated content and featured the works of translators such as Ùisdean Laing | Hugh Laing and Dòmhnall MacCaluim | Donald MacCallum. Find out more: erskine.glasgow.ac.uk/topics/trans...

Irish Content and Contributors in Ruaraidh Erskine’s Gaelic Magazines The article provides the first detailed examination of Irish content in the Gaelic periodicals founded and edited by the Scottish author and activist Ruaraidh Erskine of Mar (1869–1960) in the 1900s –...

New publication based on the ERSKINE Project: the article ‘Irish Content and Contributors in Ruaraidh Erskine’s Gaelic Magazines’ has just been published in the Journal of Irish and Scottish Studies 12:1 (2025).

On 20 August 1901 #OTD, a pan-Celtic congress opened in Dublin. Ruaraidh Erskine was involved as one of the vice-presidents, and the event brought together many future contributors to his magazines. Find out more about the coverage of pan-Celtic initiatives: erskine.glasgow.ac.uk/topics/pan-c...

A video recording of the seminar 'Twentieth-Century Radical Scottish Gaelic Magazines and Contacts with Wales' by @poncarova.bsky.social at @yganolfangeltaidd.bsky.social, including findinds from Project ERSKINE, is now available on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiKk...

On Thursday (22 May, 5 pm UK time) in person and online at the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies: 'Twentieth-Century Radical Scottish Gaelic Magazines and Contacts with Wales', including the latest findings about Welsh contributors and content in Erskine's magazines. All welcome! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

This Wednesday (14 May, 3 pm) at the University of Aberdeen @uniofaberdeen.bsky.social. All welcome!

On Monday 12 May at the Centre for Poetic Innovation, @standrewsenglish.bsky.social & Modern Languages: seminar with Petra Johana Poncarová @poncarova.bsky.social on 'New Perspectives on Ruaraidh Erskine’s Gaelic Magazines and Translation Activities', 2.30 pm: poeticinnovation.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk

Wednesday 30 April 2025 10 am CET, at Université de Bretagne Occidentale and online (ZOOM): 'Radical Scottish Gaelic Magazines in the Twentieth Century and Contacts with Brittany' by @poncarova.bsky.social, including latest findings about Breton contributors to Erskine's magazines.

A blog post on women contributors involved in Erskine's Scottish magazines by @poncarova.bsky.social has just been published by @womenshistscot.bsky.social: womenshistoryscotland.org/2025/04/21/w...

6 April marks the Tartan Day! Erskine had a lifelong interest in the Scottish national dress and related etiquette. He published a booklet on the topic, 'The Kilt and How to Wear It' (1901), and an extensive essay series 'The Scottish National Dress' for his quarterly Guth na Bliadhna (1910–1912). 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

The Scottish Review, originally published between 1882 and 1900, was revived by Ruaraidh Erskine in Spring 1914 and came out regularly until Spring 1920. A complete overview of all the issues is now available through the Project ERSKINE website: erskine.glasgow.ac.uk/magazines/th...

🌍 'S e Latha Bàrdachd an t-Saoghail a th' ann! It's World Poetry Day! 📚 Erskine's magazines provided a platform for new Gaelic poetry and published works by Allan MacDonald, Donald Sinclair, T. D. MacDonald, James Thomson, and many others. Find out more: erskine.glasgow.ac.uk/topics/poetry/

To mark St Patrick's Day, Project ERSKINE highlights the extensive involvement of Irish contributors in Erskine's Scottish magazines - from Douglas Hyde and Peter Toner McGinley to Eoin MacNeill, Patrick Eric MacFhinn, and Patrick Dinneen. Find out more: erskine.glasgow.ac.uk/places/irela... 🇮🇪

Monday 24 February, 12-1 pm: an online lunchtime talk for Stirling Magazines and Periodicals Research Group (SMPRG) on Ruaraidh Erskine's Scottish magazines and the online resources created as part of Project ERSKINE. All welcome (DM for Teams links)!

YouTube video by NVTV Belfast Forum for Research on the Languages of Scotland and Ulster 2024: Petra Poncarova

Video recording of the paper ‘Scots and Twentieth-Century Radical Gaelic Magazines’ from the conference of the Forum for Research on the Languages of Scotland and Ulster, held at Ulster University, Belfast, on 29–30 November 2024. More on the topic: erskine.glasgow.ac.uk/topics/scots/