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  • Drover
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Drover

Shane Strachan

Ye’ll never gang north again.

Bide a blink
tae knit knots
in the tufted tails
o precious stots –
protect them fae
aul-warld witches
castin cantrips
tae spuil yer riches.

Ye’ll never gang north again.

Bird o my bosom,
dinnae be sae prood –
afore ye traivel
muckle miles sooth
withoot furrochin
aneath a roof,
wid ye let me waak
the deasil roon you?

Ye’ll never gang north again.

Wi a tup’s horn
o lammer whisky,
ingans and oatmeal,
whistle pibrochs
ower the Scots dyke,
whar Heilan, Lallan
and Border-men
are aa man’s bairns.

Ye’ll never gang north again.

England’s sweet meadows
feed mony beasts,
sae dinnae be fechtin
ower whar they feast.
Keep yer sgian-dubh
healt and concealt
and darena you let
yer deil be dealt.

Ye’ll never gang north again.

Ye’ll see us Gaels,
we bleed a richer reid
syne a wumman’s warnins
ye widnae heed –
ye will gie a life
for the ane ye’v tane.
Ye will never
gang north again.


Shane Strachan

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Scots Walter Scott 250

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Young man with brown hair and short beard, sitting on stone steps with iron railings behind him.

Shane Strachanb. 1988-

Shane Strachan is a former Scots Scriever and was awarded Scots Champion at the 2023 Scots Language Awards.
More about Shane Strachan

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