Stevenson Brings Doric into Scottish Culture Debate

Stewart Stevenson, SNP MSP for Banffshire & Buchan Coast, broke out into Doric poetry yesterday (Tuesday) in a Scottish Parliament debate on the contribution of culture, visitor attractions and events to Scotland’s economy and society.

Acknowledging the importance of Doric to the north-east of Scotland, Mr Stevenson added:

“Words, literature and poetry are an important part of our connection with, and our gift to the world. We are fortunate that our neighbours to the south of us have given us one of the richest languages on the earth – English - with a huge vocabulary, great opportunities to write and many things for us to read.”

He added that the north-east was also an attraction for those with family connections to the area.

“When we study our family, we connect with our history, our antecedents and the diaspora of 40 million or 50 million Scots around the world. The Aberdeen and North-East Scotland Family History Society has thousands of members and a huge building full of information that people come to see.

“We also have many places from today’s literature and films that attract tourists. Pennan, in my constituency, has a year-round population of some 24. Yet, more than 30 years after ‘Local Hero’ was filmed there, people still come to Pennan to look at the phone box.”

Mr Stevenson added:

“Let us hope that the cultural heritage for those who come to Scotland today is as rich as I feel that mine is.”