Sorley MacLean

Scottish poet

Died: November 24, 1996

Famous Persons

Who was Sorley MacLean?

Sorley MacLean (Scottish Gaelic: Somhairle MacGill-Eain; 26 October 1911 – 24 November 1996) was a Scottish Gaelic poet, described by the Scottish Poetry Library as "one of the major Scottish poets of the modern era" because of his "mastery of his chosen medium and his engagement with the European poetic tradition and European politics". He was raised in a strict Presbyterian family on the island of Raasay, immersed in Gaelic culture and literature from birth, but abandoned religion for socialism. In 1956, he became head teacher at Plockton High School, where he advocated for the use of the Gaelic language in formal education. In the late 1930s, he befriended many Scottish Renaissance figures, such as Hugh MacDiarmid and Douglas Young. He was wounded three times while serving in the Royal Corps of Signals during the North African Campaign. MacLean published little after the war, due to his perfectionism.

A plaque in honour of Sorley Maclean in Edinburg

Historical significance

Nobel Prize Laureate Seamus Heaney credited MacLean with saving Scottish Gaelic poetry.

Sources and further reading

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Wikipedia source

Cite this page

MLA

“Sorley MacLean.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/sorley-maclean/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

APA

Sorley MacLean. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 26, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/sorley-maclean/

Chicago

“Sorley MacLean.” thisDay. Accessed October 26, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/sorley-maclean/.

Found an error? Let us know.