Sorley MacLean was arguably the most significant Scottish Gaelic poet of the twentieth century. Born in 1911 on the Isle of Raasay, MacLean grew up surrounded by Gaelic culture and song. After finishing his degree in English Literature at the University of Edinburgh, MacLean fought in North Africa during the Second World War. In 1943 he was discharged and returned to Scotland where he took up a career in teaching. That same year he published his groundbreaking collection of Gaelic poetry, ‘Dain do Eimhir’, which demonstrates the capacity of Gaelic to express themes ranging from love to political and intellectual issues. His work remained little-known outside the Gaelic-speaking world until the 1970s, when he came to the attention of a wider public by publishing in both Gaelic and English.