Scottish renaissance

Scottish literary movement

Also known as: Lallans revival, Synthetic Scots

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July 23, 2026

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The Scottish Renaissance was a literary movement that emerged after World War I, aiming to revitalize and modernize the Scots language. This revival, also known as the Lallans revival, was spearheaded by poets like Hugh MacDiarmid, who blended archaic Scots with modern ideas. While prominent Scottish writers continued to produce significant works in English, the Lallans Makars ("Lowlands Makers") carried forward the tradition of poetry in Scots after World War II. This movement sought to restore the prestige of the Scots language and adapt it for contemporary expression.12

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Hugh MacDiarmid
…1978, Edinburgh) was the preeminent Scottish poet of the first half of the 20th century and leader of the Scottish literary renaissance.
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…1978, Edinburgh) was the preeminent Scottish poet of the first half of the 20th century and leader of the Scottish literary renaissance.
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Scottish literature
…I there occurred a “renaissance” in literature (particularly poetry) in Scots that sought to restore the language’s prestige and to modernize it. The Scottish renaissance was also called the Lallans revival—the term Lallans (Lowlands) having been used by Burns to refer to the language—and it centred on Hugh MacDiarmid…
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…I there occurred a “renaissance” in literature (particularly poetry) in Scots that sought to restore the language’s prestige and to modernize it. The Scottish renaissance was also called the Lallans revival—the term Lallans (Lowlands) having been used by Burns to refer to the language—and it centred on Hugh MacDiarmid…
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