We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
Allan Ramsay (1684-1758) was a poet who transformed the role of the Scots language in Scottish Literature, introduced the term 'Doric', founded or co-founded the first subscription library in the British Isles, the first art school in Scotland and one of the country's first theatres, and was one of the first Romantic song collectors, as well as a key player in the Enlightenment. Ramsay's complex relationship with the music of his time transforms our understanding of 'traditional' song. Without Ramsay, it is hard to imagine that Burns, Hogg or Fergusson could ever have written as they did, and much in the poet's work remains challenging and inspiring to readers today. The Edinburgh Edition of the Works of Allan Ramsay is the first-ever comprehensive scholarly edition. The series contains authoritative texts together with materials that add to an appreciation of Ramsay's historical context, his cultural heritage, and his overall importance within literary, linguistic and musical history.
