100 Favourite Scottish Love Poems

STEWART CONNN was born in Glasgow, grew up in Aryshire and for many years has lived in Edinburgh shere, until 1992 he was based as the head of BBC Scotland's radio drama department. In 2002 he was appointed the capital's first makar, or poet laureate. His poetry has been widely anthologised and translated. He has received awards from, amonc others, the Scottish Arts Council, the Society of Authors and the Poetry Book Society. Besides regularly appearing at the Edinburgh International Book Festival he has participated in poetry festivals from Aberdeen to Zagreb.

Featuring poems of first love, yearning for love, love in absence and eternal love, this vibrant selection spans the centuries from traditional verse to contemporary poetry in Gaelic, Scots and English. THE SCOTS MAGAZINEConn’s achievement is to have created a feelgood anthology in which doubt, loss, jealousy and impermanence are all given their due... Like the best dark chocolate, the contents of this slim volume linger ambiguously on the palate. THE SUNDAY TIMES

• AcknowledgementsIntroduction1 Love’s like a Dizziness by James Hogg2 One Cigarette by Edwin Morgan3 Mary Morison by Robert Burns4 Country Girl by George Mackay Brown5 Falling in Love by Helena Nelson6 Jock o’ Hazeldean by Sir Walter Scott7 Love by Rody Gorman8 I Lo’e nae a Laddie but Ane by John Clunie9 The Shadows by Iain Crichton Smith10 To his Maistress by Alexander Montgomerie11 The Lake at Preda by Ron Butlin12 Bonny Barbara by Allan Anon13 Chaill mi mo chridhe riut/ I lost my heart to you by Derick Thomson14 Heart-Free by Marion Angus15 Suitcases by Kathleen Jamie16 Island Love by Tom Pow17 To my Daughters, Asleep by Robin Robertson18 The Secret by Elizabeth Burns19 Love by James Robertson20 When John an’ Me war’ Married by Robert Tannahill21 Walking Glen Trool by Liz Niven22 Love-making in St Kilda by Donald Murray23 The Red Graveyard by Jackie Kay24 Duddingston by Robert Louis Stevenson25 Landscape with Flying Man by John Glenday26 A Long Shot by Andrew Greig27 Romance by Andrew Lang28 Amoretti by John Purser29 A Rondel of Luve by Alexander Scott30 Fhir luraich, ‘s fhir àlainn/Bonnie man, lovely man by Meg Bateman31 The Cautious Lover by Sir Alexander Gray32 First Love by William Neill33 A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns34 Bouquet by Angela McSeveney35 Geordie’s Marriage by William Finlayson36 Banner Bright by Stan Bell37 Finding the Words by Carol Ann Duffy38 Clerk by Saunders Anon39 Your Hands, Their Touch by Gael Turnbull40 Bitcherel by Eleanor Brown41 Fracture by G. F. Dutton42 Of Love by Alan Riach43 Storm Damage by Tom Leonard44 Saint Valentine’s Day by William Montgomerie45 The Lover by Joe Corrie46 The Rigs o Barley by Robert Burns47 In Thurso one night by George Gunn48 Out with my Loves on a Windy Day by Pamela Beasant49 The Blythesome Bridal by Sir Francis Sempill50 The Tip of my Tongue by Robert Crawford51 Traighean/Shores by Sorley MacLean51 Polytheron by Ken Cockburn52 Mansie considers Peedie Mary by Ian Hamilton Finlay53 My Luve, my Luve by Sydney Goodsir Smith54 Sex Education by Des Dillon55 Yeah Yeah Yeah by Roddy Lumsden56 The Proposal by John C. Milne57 Hot Chick by Sheila Templeton58 Ballad by William Soutar59 The Lowlands of Holland by Anon60 Sang by Robert McLellan61 So, we’ll go no more a roving by George Gordon, Lord Byron62 Cupid and Venus by Mark Alexander Boyd64 Other Life by Brian McCabe65 O, Wert Thou in the Cauld Blast by Robert Burns66 The Thread by Don Paterson67 Dòmhnall nan Dòmhnall/Donald of the Donalds by Anon68 Luve by Douglas Young69 Husbandry by John Burnside70 Wheesht, Wheesht by Hugh MacDiarmid71 Between by Hamish Whyte72 from The Kingis Quair by King James I of Scotland73 For Her Sake by Alastair Reid74 Scops Owl by Anna Crowe75 The Baffled Knight by Anon76 Why it Took so Long by Diana Hendry77 O tell me how to woo thee by Robert Graham78 Shy Geordie by Helen Cruickshank79 A Night In by Liz Lochhead80 Just Like Eve by Magi Gibson81 Aa My Thochts by J. K. Annand82 Vivamus Mea Lesbia Atque Amemus by Hamish Henderson83 The Loch Ness Monster by Tom Buchan84 Lament of the Border Widow by Anon85 In the Lane by Isobel Wylie Hutchison86 Creatures by Douglas Dunn87 Oran Luaidh/Lovesong/Waulking songby Aonghas MacNeacail88 Continent o Venus by Alexander Scott89 Ditty by Gerry Cambridge90 Tam i’ the Kirk by Violet Jacob91 Love’s Remorse by Edwin Muir92 Sonnet by Mary, Queen Of Scots (Attrib)93 Queen Mary, Queen Mary by Anon94 Incident by Norman MacCaig95 Glen Isla Love Song by Valerie Gillies96 Lassie lie near me by Anon97 I leave this at your ear by W. S. Graham98 John Anderson, my jo, John by Robert Burns99 Sonnet on my wife’s birthday by George Bruce100 There will be no end by Anne MacLeodNotesIndex of Poets