Makars’ Court Lawnmarket Royal Mile Edinburgh
The Makars are the award winning writers / Poets of Scotland. There are 39 Slabs that have the makers names inscribed one slab for each person. Below are the makars’ the slabs and who they are were.
Makars’ Court Lawnmarket Edinburgh
Makar SIR WALTER SCOTT (1771-1832)
Novelist and Poet Born in Edinburgh Inscription on slab This is my own, my native land
Makar Robert Louis Stevenson 1850 – 1894
Inscription on slab There are no stars as lovely as Edinburgh’s street lamps
Novelist, Poet and Travel writer Born in Edinburgh
Makar Robert Burns 1759 – 1796
Poet Born in Alloway Inscription on slab Man to Man the world o’er shall brithers be for a’ that
Makar Robert Fergusson 1750 – 1774
Poet, Born in Edinburgh Inscription on slab Auld Reikie wale o’ i lka town
Makar GAVIN DOUGLAS 1476 – 1522
Poet, Scottish Bishop and Politician, Born in Tantallon Castle East Lothian Inscription on slab mak it braid and plane Kepand na sudron bot our awyn langage
Makar TOM SCOTT 1918 – 1995
Poet, Builders Labourer and Soldier, Born Partick Glasgow Inscription on slab WEIRD HOU MEN MAUN AYE BE MAKIN WAR INSTEID O THINGS THEY NEED
Makar JAMES BOSWELL 1740 – 1795
Laird of Auchinleck, Biographer, Advocate, Born in Edinburgh Inscription on slab
I rattled down the High Street in high elevation of spirits
Makar Lachlan Mor MacMhuirich 1370 – 1478
Scottish Bard Professional Poet of a dynasty of Poets, Born in the Hebrides Inscription on slab
A Chlanna Cuinn Cuimhnichibh Cruas an am na h-iorghaile
Makar Sir David Lyndsay 1486 – 1555
Lyon King of Arms, Satirist, Poet and Diplomat, Born in Fife Inscription on slab Lait us haif the bukis necessare to commoun weill
Makar HELEN CRUICKSHANK 1886 – 1975
Poet and Suffragette, Born in Hillside near Montrose Inscription on slab The spirit endures for ever
Makar George MacKay Brown 1921 – 1996
Poet, Dramatist and Author, Born in Stromness, Orkney Inscription on slab In the fire of images gladly, I put my hand
Makar Sydney Goodsir Smith 1915 – 1975
Poet, Artist, Novelist and dramatist, Born in Wellington New Zealand Inscription on slab Bards hae sung o lesser luves than I o thee Oh my great follie and my granderie
Makar Iain Crichton Smith 1928 – 1998
Poet and Novelist, Born in Glasgow in 1928 lived in Bayble Lewis from infancy Inscription on slab Let our three-voiced country sing in a new world
Makar Muriel Spark 1918 – 2006
Novelist, Born in Edinburgh Inscription on slab THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE COMMONPLACE
Makar John Muir 1838 – 1914
Engineer, Naturalist, Philosopher, Writer, Botanist and Geologist, Born in Dunbar Inscription on slab I care to live to entice people to look at Nature’s loveliness
Makar Douglas Young 1913 – 1973
Poet and Politician Leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party, Born in Tayport Fife Insription on slab
He was eident, He was blye, in Scotland’s cause
Makar Fionn Maccolla (AKA)Thomas Douglas Macdonald 1906 – 1975
Actual name Thomas Douglas MacDonald a Novelist, born in Montrose inscription on slab my boots in the soil of Alba
Makar Nigel Tranter 1909 – 2000
Inscription on slab You intend to bide here? Can you think of anywhere better?
Historian and Author, Accountant, Born in Glasgow
Makar Neil Munro 1863 – 1930
Lawyers Clerk, Journalist, writer (Hugh Foulis), Born in Inveraray Inscription on slab “And yet, and yet, this new road will some day be the old road, too”
Makar Neil Miller Gunn 1891 – 1973
Novelist, Dramatists and Critic, Born in Dunbeath Inscription on slab Knowledge is high in the head but the salmon of wisdom swims deep
Makar James Allan Ford 1920 – 2009
Inscription on slab Sing out the silence fill for ever and ever the emptiness Writer, Soldier and Senior Civil Servant, Born in Auchtermuckty in Fife
Makar Dorothy Dunnett 1923 – 2001
Inscription on slab Where are the links of the chain joining us to the past?
Painter, Sculptures and fiction writer, Born in Dunfermline Fife 1923
Makar James Bridle 1888 – 1951
Scottish Playwright, also a surgeon in the 1st and 2nd world wars, real name Osborne Henry Mavor, born in Glasgow Inscription on slab Who knows the heart of man and what moves in that darkness?
Makar William Dunbar 1460 – 1520
Inscription on slab The fesche is brukle the Fend is sle Timor mortis conturbat me.
One of the greats, Poet associated with the court of James IV, and Advocate of Law, Born, circa 1880
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Makar John Buchan 1875 – 1940
Inscription on slab We can only repay our debt to the past by putting the future in debt to us
Writer and Historian, first Baron Tweedsmuir of Elsfield, 15th Governor General of Canada, Born, Perth 1875
Makar James King Annand 1908 – 1993
Inscription on slab Sing it aince for pleisure Sing it twice for joy
Poet famous for children’s poems, Principal History Teacher, Editor, born in Edinburgh Christopher Murray Grieve
Makar Naomi Mitchison 1897 – 1999
Novelist and Poet, Baroness, born in Edinburgh Inscription on slab Go back far enough and all humankind are cousins
Makar John Galt 1779 – 1839
Inscription on slab Birr and smeddum
Writer, Novelist, founded the town of Guelph in Canada, born Irvine Ayrshire 1779
Makar David Daiches 1912 – 2002
Author, Editor and authority on Scottish Literature, born in Sunderland 1912 lived his life in Edinburgh Inscription on slab Bridge-building is my vocation
Makar Violet Jacob 1863 – 1946
Novelist and Poet, born House of Dun, Montrose Inscription on slab THERE’S MUCKLE LYIN YONT THE TAY THAT’S MAIR TO ME NOR LIFE
Makar Hugh MacDiarmid 1892 – 1978
Journalist, Author Poet, born Christopher Murray Grieve in Langholm, Scottish Borders 1892 Inscription on slab DRUMS IN THE WALLIGATE PIPES IN THE AIR THE WALLOPIN’ THISTLE IS ILL TO BEAR
Makar Lady Culross, Elizabeth Melville 1578 – 1640
Inscription on slab Though tyrants threat, though Lyons rage and rore Defy them all, and feare not to win out
Poet, First Scots woman to have printed works “Ane Godlie Dreame” 1603, Born, Collessie near Cupar Fife
Makar Robert McLellan 1907 – 1985
Writer, Poet and Dramatist awarded O.B.E in 1978, born Clyde Valley near Lanark Inscription on slab The pouer to bigg a braw warld in his brain craitur Marks man the only that can greit
Makar George Buchanan 1506 – 1582
Teacher, Poet and the person that helped Elizabeth I in the execution of Mary Queen of Scots, Born, Killearn, Stirling 1506 Inscription on slab POPULO ENIM IVS EST VT IMPERIVM CVI VELIT DEFERA
Makar Robert Garioch Sutherland 1909 – 1981
Poet, Author and School Teacher, born Robert Garioch Sutherland Inscription on slab in simmer, whan a sorts foregether in Embro to the ploy.
Makar John Barbour 1320 – 1395
Poet, Archdeacon and supporter of King David II, First to write in Scots language, born in Aberdeenshire inscription on slab Fredome is a noble thing
Makar Nan Shepherd 1893 -1891
English school teacher, Writer, Novelist and Poet, born Peterculter on the River Dee 1893. Inscription on slab It’s a grand thing to get leave to live
Makar Robert Henryson 1425 – 1490
Inscription on slab Blissed be sempill lyfe withoutin dreid Poet, School teacher and law Advocate, born as record show he was at University in 1462 (students at University could be as young as 12)
Makar Sorley MacLean Somhairle MacGill-Eain 1911 – 1996
School teacher and Poet son of a tailor, born Island of Raasay between Skye and main land Scotland Inscription on slab nan robh againn Alba shaor Alba co-shinte ri ar gaol