David Rorie

Born in Edinburgh in 1867 and raised in Aberdeen, David Rorie trained in medicine after studying at the University of Edinburgh. He worked first in hospital and at sea, then became medical officer to collieries in Fife, where he helped improve care for miners and introduced first-aid training.

Alongside his medical career, he wrote poetry and songs in Scots and developed a strong interest in folklore and traditional Scottish medicine. His best-known books include The Auld Doctor and The Lum Hat Wantin' a Croon', and he also published Folklore of the Mining Folk of Fife, drawing on the communities he knew well.

During the First World War, Rorie served in France and later returned to general practice in Cults, near Aberdeen. He retired in 1933 and died on February 18, 1946, leaving behind a body of work that connects medicine, local tradition, and the living voice of Scotland.