The second issue of Poetry Scotland, published in 1945, contained three poems by Sorley MacLean: ‘An Trom-laighe’ (The Nightmare), ‘Knightsbridge Libia’ (Knightsbridge of Libya), and ‘A’ Choille Ghrod’ (The Rotten Wood). |
Clement Atlee and the Labour Party won the first post-war election in 1945, and developed the idea of the ‘welfare state’. |
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Atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 (Hiroshima mentioned in ‘Palach’ and Nagasaki mentioned in ‘Screapadal’). |
Married Miss Renee Cameron from Inverness on 24 July 1946. |
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Joseph Stalin died in 1953. |
‘Hallaig’ was first published in Gairm in 1954. |
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Sorley MacLean left Edinburgh in 1956 to become Headmaster at Plockton Secondary School, where he remained until his retirement in 1972. |
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Lines Review 28, published 1969, contained sixteen poems from ‘Dàin do Eimhir’, translated by Iain Crichton Smith. |
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Sorley MacLean recorded the first formal discussion of his work in conversation with Iain Crichton Smith, John MacInnes, Hamish Henderson and Donald MacAulay in Aberdeen in May 1970. |
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| Lines Review 34 (September 1970) was a special edition dedicated to the work of Sorley MacLean. |
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Poems to Eimhir, translated from Gaelic by Iain Crichton Smith, was published in 1971. |
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Sorley MacLean received an honorary LLD degree from the University of Dundee in 1972. |
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Sorley MacLean retired as Headmaster of Plockton Secondary School in August 1972 and he and Renee moved to his great grandmother’s house at Peinnachorrain in Braes on Skye. |
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Barran agus Asbhuain (Crops and Stubble). Poems by Sorley MacLean read by himself was published by Claddagh Records in 1973 – the first published recording of the poet reading his own work. |
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Between 1973 and 1975 the poet spent two years as Creative Writer in Residence at Edinburgh University, and from 1975 to 1976 he was Filidh at the fledgling Gaelic College on Skye, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. |
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