A Scots Quair
Encyclopedia
A Scots Quair is a trilogy
by the Scottish
writer Lewis Grassic Gibbon
, describing the life of Chris Guthrie, a woman from the north east of Scotland during the early 20th century.
It consists of three novels: Sunset Song
, Cloud Howe, and Grey Granite. The first is widely regarded as an important classic (voted Scotland's favourite book in a 2005 poll supported by the Scottish Book Trust and other organisations) but opinions are more varied about the other two.
) in the north east of Scotland
at the start of the 20th century. Life is hard, and her family is dysfunctional.
. It gives an account of her life during her second marriage to Robert Colquhoun, a Church of Scotland
minister. At the end of the novel he dies in the pulpit while delivering a sermon.
TV adaptations of all three works were made by the BBC
in 1971, 1982 and 1983 respectively. They were scripted by Bill Craig
, and Vivien Heilbron
played Chris.
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
by the Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
writer Lewis Grassic Gibbon
Lewis Grassic Gibbon
Lewis Grassic Gibbon was the pseudonym of James Leslie Mitchell , a Scottish writer.-Biography:...
, describing the life of Chris Guthrie, a woman from the north east of Scotland during the early 20th century.
It consists of three novels: Sunset Song
Sunset Song
Sunset Song is a 1932 novel by the Scottish writer Lewis Grassic Gibbon. It is widely regarded as one of the most important Scottish novels of the 20th century...
, Cloud Howe, and Grey Granite. The first is widely regarded as an important classic (voted Scotland's favourite book in a 2005 poll supported by the Scottish Book Trust and other organisations) but opinions are more varied about the other two.
- Sunset SongSunset SongSunset Song is a 1932 novel by the Scottish writer Lewis Grassic Gibbon. It is widely regarded as one of the most important Scottish novels of the 20th century...
(1932) - Cloud Howe (1933)
- Grey Granite (1934)
Sunset Song
The central character is a young woman, Chris Guthrie, growing up in a farming family in the fictional Estate of Kinraddie in "The Mearns" (KincardineshireKincardineshire
The County of Kincardine, also known as Kincardineshire or The Mearns was a local government county on the coast of northeast Scotland...
) in the north east of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
at the start of the 20th century. Life is hard, and her family is dysfunctional.
Cloud Howe
Cloud Howe continues the story of Chris Guthrie from the first part, Sunset SongSunset Song
Sunset Song is a 1932 novel by the Scottish writer Lewis Grassic Gibbon. It is widely regarded as one of the most important Scottish novels of the 20th century...
. It gives an account of her life during her second marriage to Robert Colquhoun, a Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
minister. At the end of the novel he dies in the pulpit while delivering a sermon.
Grey Granite
Grey Granite continues the story of Chris Guthrie/Tavendale/Colquhoun. She moves to the fictional city of Duncairn (previously referred to in Cloud Howe as Dundon). In the introduction to Grey Granite, Gibbon points out that Dundon/Duncairn is based neither on Aberdeen or Dundee (as some reviewers had surmised), but is "merely the city which the inhabitants of the Mearns (not foreseeing my requirements in completing my trilogy) have hitherto failed to build". An important character is her son by her first marriage to Ewan Tavendale, also called Ewan Tavendale. He becomes a political activist.TV adaptations of all three works were made by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1971, 1982 and 1983 respectively. They were scripted by Bill Craig
Bill Craig (TV writer)
Bill Craig was a Scottish television scriptwriter.He wrote a large number of scripts, including the TV adaptations of Sunset Song, Cloud Howe, Grey Granite and The Eagle of the Ninth....
, and Vivien Heilbron
Vivien Heilbron
Vivien Heilbron is a Scottish actress.-Career:Heilbron, who was born in Glasgow, achieved fame in her homeland when she appeared in the 1971 BBC Scotland television adaption of Lewis Grassic Gibbon's Sunset Song, in the lead role of Chris Guthrie. "The television programme was quite instrumental...
played Chris.