Written in Northeast dialect as it has been used over the last six decades, the stories are about animals, birds and other creatures, and about Buchan life seen through a boy's eyes. The background detail and form of the language are entirely authentic, whether the scene is Buchan, Shetland, Edinburgh or further afield, and they record changing ways of life. This is a form of writing that is rare or unique in Scots, demonstating to the full the creative potential of local dialect. Although engaging and easy to read, an appendix is included which analyses the language and spelling.
Professor Emeritus Alexander Fenton, CBE, son of an Aberdeenshire shoemaker and crofter, is the author of many books and articles on Scottish country life. He has served as Senior Assistant Editor of the Scottish National Dictionary, and has been Director of the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, of the School of Scottish Studies of the University of Edinburgh, and of the European Ethnological Research Centre, for which he is now a consultant.
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