A Brief History of the SGTS

Founded in April 1934, the Society quickly established itself as a leading force in the publication of Gaelic literary texts. Its first volume, Scottish Verse from the Book of the Dean of Lismore (1937), edited by Professor William J. Watson, set a high standard of scholarship that has shaped the Society’s work ever since. The book became a widely used textbook for Gaelic students in universities and schools, and a separate school edition of the text (without notes) was also issued.

Before the outbreak of the Second World War, the Society published two further volumes in 1939: The Songs of John MacCodrum, edited by William Matheson, and Heroic Poetry from the Book of the Dean of Lismore, edited by Rev. Dr Neil Ross. Wartime conditions brought publication work to a halt, and the Society’s activities largely ceased for several years.

In June 1947, the Society was formally reconstituted, with Professor Watson serving as Honorary President. Its first post-war publication, and fourth volume overall, appeared in 1952: The Songs of Duncan Ban MacIntyre, edited by Angus MacLeod. The volume proved highly successful and was reprinted in 1978.

From that point onward, the Society resumed a steady programme of publishing, continuing its original purpose of making key Gaelic texts available in authoritative editions. In 1996, the SGTS launched a parallel paperback New Series, beginning with Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair: Selected Poems, edited by Professor Derick S. Thomson. The second New Series volume, Màiri Mhòr nan Òran (1999), edited by Professor Donald E. Meek, was the Society’s first volume edited entirely in Gaelic.

As of 2026, the Society has published 32 volumes, with recent titles including:

• Laoidhean Spioradail Dhùghaill Bhochanain, edited by Donald E. Meek
• Iasad Rann: Original Gaelic Poems and Translations by John Maclean, edited by William Gillies and Donald E. Meek
• Iain mac Mhurchaidh: The life and work of John MacRae, Kintail and North Carolina, edited by Màiri Sìne Chaimbeul
• Na Sgeulachdan Gàidhlig Iain Mac a’ Ghobhainn, edited by Ian MacDonald and Moray Watson

The Society’s publications have focused primarily on poetry, as might be expected, but its catalogue also includes significant work in Gaelic prose. While early emphasis was often on texts from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, SGTS editions increasingly reflect the richness of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Gaelic literature, including both oral and written traditions.

(For a fuller history, see below.)

A History of the SGTS

The formation of the Society in 1934 attracted strong interest and support, and within three years it produced its first publication. This was Scottish Verse from the Book of the Dean of Lismore (1937), edited—appropriately—by Professor William J. Watson. While three years may seem a slow beginning, the timescale reflects the scale of work involved in preparing texts for publication. Watson’s edition represented the culmination of decades of scholarship, and it could hardly have been bettered as the Society’s first volume.

As Watson had noted in his inaugural address, the volume was concerned with the earliest recoverable Gaelic literature in Scotland. It also set a benchmark for the academic standards of later SGTS publications—standards that have proved both lasting and influential. The book quickly became a standard textbook for students of Gaelic in universities and schools. Alongside the full scholarly edition, the Society also published a version containing the Gaelic text only, without notes, intended specifically for school use. Producing such school editions (when suitable) remained a feature of the Society’s programme until 1964, when the practice was discontinued, largely because schools increasingly preferred the full edition.

Before the Second World War, the Society published two further volumes, both in 1939. The second was The Songs of John MacCodrum, edited by William Matheson, later Honorary President of the Society. This volume has been out of print since 1965. The third was Heroic Poetry from the Book of the Dean of Lismore, edited by Rev. Dr Neil Ross. Although prepared in 1939, it did not appear until after war had begun, and has been out of print since 1967. Revisions of both works are currently in progress.

The Second World War understandably brought the Society’s publishing programme to a complete halt. Its activities virtually ceased for six years, and were only revived again in late 1946. In June 1947, the Society was formally reconstituted, with Professor Watson as Honorary President. Its first post-war publication, and the fourth in the series, appeared in 1952: The Songs of Duncan Ban MacIntyre, edited by Angus MacLeod, Headmaster of Oban High School. This volume proved far longer and more expensive than the Society had anticipated, but it sold well and required reprinting in 1978.

From 1947 onward, the Society resumed its publishing work in a steady flow that has continued to the present day, with further publications still to come in fulfilment of its original and enduring purpose. In 1996, a parallel paperback series—the New Series—was launched with the publication of Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair: Selected Poems, edited by Professor D. S. Thomson. The aim of the New Series is to provide selections from the work of individual writers, complete texts where only a small body of work survives, or themed miscellanies. Volumes include introductions, notes, and glossaries where appropriate, but do not normally provide full translations.

The second volume in this series, a new edition of Professor Donald E. Meek’s 1977 work on the Skye poet Màiri Mhòr nan Òran, appeared in 1999. This was the first SGTS volume edited entirely in Gaelic. Three further paperback volumes have since been published:

• Mo Là Gu Seo: Eachdraidh mo Bheatha le Tòmas M MacCalmain, edited by Donald E. Meek
• Oran na Comhachaig: A critical edition with English translations and annotations, edited by Pat Menzies
• Dugald Buchanan (1716–1768): The poet, the translator, and the manuscript evidence (The Canna Lecture 2016), by Donald Meek

Since the Society’s founding in 1934, thirty-two volumes have been published as of 2026. In addition, there has been some reprinting of earlier books and rebinding of existing sheet stock. The subject matter of SGTS publications has, as expected, leaned more heavily towards poetry than prose. In practice, decisions about what can be published are often shaped by the editors available and willing to undertake the work.

For many years, the Society’s strongest emphasis was on texts from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. However, SGTS publications have also included twentieth-century material, such as the songs and poetry of Donald MacIntyre, and modern prose writings by authors including Donald MacKinnon, Donald Lamont, Kenneth MacLeod, Thomas Murchison, and Iain Crichton Smith. At the same time, the profile of nineteenth-century Gaelic literature, both oral and written, has continued to grow within the Society’s catalogue.