VisitScotland has launched the Year of Stories 2022, which celebrates stories inspired by, written or created in Scotland.
The national tourism organisation, together with Scots expert and writer Alistair Heather, are taking iconic books inspired by Scotland or written in Scotland and translating the first lines into Scots.
Titles include Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, Dracula by Bram Stoker, Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, Peter Pan by JM Barrie, and Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling.
In an official statement, the organisation said: Scotland’s Year of Stories encourages locals and visitors to experience a diversity of voices and explore the cultures connected to all forms of Scottish stories.
The project is titled ‘Braw Beginnings’, and is hosted on VisitScotland.com.
Translations focus on novels with existing Scottish ties, whether the authors drew inspiration for their works in the country, lived in Scotland or perhaps, are Scottish themselves.
VisitScotland’s designers have also reimagined what a scene from each book might look like – a sound clip of the Scots translation can be listened to on the website.
‘Braw Beginnings’ offers the world a taste of Scots, and uses literature to show the verve and passion of a language spoken across Scotland and beyond.
Several well-known novels have previously been fully translated into Scots including The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling.
Inspiration for the project came from Scottish Twitter, which has acquired the attention of users worldwide due to its quick wit and to-the-point storytelling.
Alistair Heather said (in Scots): “This project is fun. It gies us a fresh way of looking at the literature we ken well. And it gies us a chance tae enjoy wir Scots tongue in a new environment. It’s a re-exploration.
“We’ve got a lot to be proud of here. Two things I love introducing visitors and newcomers to Scotland to, are our literature and the joy of the Scots language.
“This project emphasises both. Hopefully, folk enjoy it and enjoy discovering how much great writing has Scottish connections!”
“A love of literature and complex multilingualism has marked oot Scotland for centuries. In the thoosan years since we’ve existed, the language o state has been Gaelic, Scots, then English. Aw three contribute to wir history, wir present and wir literature.”
Marie Christie, VisitScotland Head of Events Development, said: “Scots is an important part of our history and culture with rich oral traditions still very much alive in song, drama and storytelling.
“This project sees some of the world’s best-known books with Scottish links translated into Scots as a way to showcase the language to an even wider audience.
“We hope it will encourage visitors to try speaking some Scots and find out more about the language when holidaying here, especially during Scotland’s Year of Stories.
“Scots and the country’s other languages are all part of our unique culture which can only truly be experienced in Scotland, strengthening the experience we know means so much to visitors.”
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