author
Charles Murray
1864–1941
A vivid Scottish poet of the Doric tradition, these poems carry the speech, humor, and feeling of Aberdeenshire with unusual warmth. Much of the work was written while living far from home in South Africa, which gives it an added note of memory and longing.
1 Audiobook
Hamewith
by Charles Murray
About the author
Born near Alford in Aberdeenshire in September 1864, Charles Murray became one of the best-known poets to write in Doric, the north-east Scots dialect. He spent much of his working life in South Africa as an engineer and public servant, yet his poetry remained deeply rooted in the people, language, and landscape of his home region.
His first collection, A Handfu' o' Heather, appeared in the 1890s, and his writing helped show that Scots could be a lively, expressive literary language. Readers have long valued him for poems that feel clear-spoken, affectionate, and sharply observed, often blending humor with homesickness.
Murray returned to Scotland later in life and was formally recognized for his contribution to Scottish poetry, including an honorary degree from the University of Aberdeen. He died in April 1941, but his work still stands as an inviting entry point into Doric verse and the rich sound of north-east Scotland.