This photograph is part of a series commissioned by Glasgow’s Third Eye Centre to accompany an exhibition of paintings and drawings of Scottish poets by Alexander Moffat. Seven photographs from the series were selected to be exhibited alongside Moffat’s portraits. Norman MacCaig was part of an outstanding generation of Scottish poets to emerge in the mid-twentieth century. He was a friend of Hugh MacDiarmid and Sorley MacLean and a mentor to a younger generation of writers. MacCaig wrote in English rather than Scots, his plain words revealing the magical aspects of everyday life and the beauty of the landscapes of Assynt in the Highlands. MacCaig is shown relaxing in a pub, cigarette in hand, the strong contrast in lighting illuminating him from the dark background.