Weel duin tae St Andrews Preservation Trust wha hae bin nominatit in Scots Community Project o the Year in the Scots Language Awards. Vote now!
The 2026 Scots Language Awards tak place on Saturday 19th September at the iconic Discovery Centre, home of the RRS Discovery Ship (1pm). Reserve yer ticket here.
The awards will be a daytime event this year, making them as inclusive and accessible to as many award nominees from across Scotland as possible.
We askit Samantha Walker o St Andrews Preservation Trust thae speirins.
Tell us aboot yersel or yer ootfit.
Saunt Aundraes Preservation Truist is an independent chairity foondit in 1937 tae preser the historic character o the toun. Ane o the weys the chairity meets its ettles is throu its museum, the Saunt Aundraes Heritage Museum an Gairden, i the centre o the toun. The Museum presers an shares the social history o Saunt Aundraes throu a collection o mair than 28,000 objecks an photoies, exhibeetions, events an acteevities.
The museum tells the stories o the tounsfowk, an thir are stories that arenae aften telt, in a toun best kent for gowf an academic eddication. The museum is moistly rin bi volunteers, wha tak pairt in aa aspecks o museum life.
Whit wis it got ye involvit wi the Scots leid?
Museum staff an volunteers wantit fowk tae tak tent o the fack that Scots haed (in 2025) been recogneesed as an offeecial langage. We aa felt this wes a reid-letter day, an we didnae ken o ony ither exhibeetion lik it. It wes an inlat tae dae something differently bi pittin on the exhibeetion in the Scots leid itsel. As a team we war mindfu that cultural organseesations tak an important pairt in forderin the leid; we wantit Scots tae be seen, an tae share its central poseetion in Scottish cultur, history an eedentity wi the thoosans o veesitors that we walcome.
Museum Manager an Curator, Sam Walker, set up an exhibeetion sub-comatee that tuik in Natasha Liu (Ootreak Oafficer), an volunteers Ken Fraser, Sheila Kinninmonth, Veronica Whymant, an Eric Cassells, wha coud share their knawledge an langage skeels ti bring the exhibeetion thegither. The sub-comatee braident their knawledge o the leid an its history bi warkin alang wi academics, local schuils, owthors an writers tae pit the exhibeetion thegither. The wey this wes duin shawed us hou the Scots leid community can gie a heeze tae itsel, an it haes upsteerit staff an volunteers at the museum tae lairn mair aboot whit is tae mony o them their mither tongue, an be prood o it.
Why dae ye feel it is important tae use Scots in everyday life?
Frae pittin on the exhibeetion, an frae speakin tae veesitors aboot the leid, it haes lat us aa ken hou important it is in giein fowk a sense o place an eedentity. As ane o the schuil-bairns said, wha gied a haun wi the exhibeetion, “It maks us prood tae be Scottish”.
For fowk that wark in towrism an cultur, it is important tae see an hear Scots yaisit in ilka-day life, as it gies veesitors, perteeclarly owreseas anes, a rael unnerstaunin o the kintra they are veesitin. Whan Scots is heard, or read, ilka day, it can thrive.
Dae ye hae a favourite Scots phrase or saying?
"Keep the heid"!
"Keep yer ain fish guts tae yer ain sea-maws" – maistly cos its stereotypical o Scottish fowk an nae richt at aa!
Is there a Scots speaker who inspires you?
Billy Kay
Do you hear Scots spoken regularly in your local area? Have you noticed any changes over time?
Mony fowk in Saunt Aundraes are ainly leevin here for a short while, but there is a core o local fowk that hae been brocht up i the Fife dialeck an wha yaise Scots wirds ilka day. We dae ken that mony tak an interest in acteevities an events conneckit wi the Scots leid.
Ony particlar career heighlichts
[no applicable]
Wha’s yer plans fir the days aheid?
This exhibeetion is the perfeck inlat tae speir oot an bring thegither resources on the Scots leid, an we hae stertit on a schame for a Scots leid lens boax that can be taen oot tae schuils, or lent oot tae them. Forbye, we hae haed collogues wi ither organeesations aboot the haill exhibeetion bein taen tae ither places. We wad be gled tae help tae dae this.
A nummer o Scots-leid events haes been organeesed tae gie veesitors a taste o Scots. Amang them are a talk bi Billy Kay, Scots singin warkshops wi Sheena Wellington, performances bi Scots singers an speakers at an Aipen Mike Nicht, an storytellin wi Sheila Kinninmonth.
The exhibeeetion ens in Januar, but it wull hae a legacy. Museum staff are speirin oot weys for the Scots leid tae be yaisit in its lang-tairm ootsets, parteeclarly i the Fisherfowk ruim, that tells the story o a local community that wad, wioot a dout, hae spoken Scots. Forbye, we howp that this exhibeetion wull upsteer ither cultural organeesations tae yaise the Scots leid an mak it mair veesible.
Read more about St Andrews Preservation Trust
https://standrewsmuseum.com/
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The Scots Language Awards are in Dundee on the 19th September at 1pm. There wull be some grand entertainmint includin a recitals fae Yvonne Tait an Hugh Macmillan alang wi musical performances fae Iona Fyfe and Scott Gardiner.
To attend the Scots Language Awards there are a few tickets remaining. Click here to reserve your tickets.
Join Elfie Picket Theatre for the Scots language nicht BLETHER, fur a nicht o music, poetry and stories aa celebratin Scots Leid & culture. We hae twa special guests jynin us and a wee open mic. Leadin us intae a big Dundee Fringe Ceilidh! Startin at 6pm, tickets £10.
If you would like to support Hands Up for Trad in their work with Scottish language please consider donating here.