The noted Gaelic poet was born on the island of Raasay, studied at the University of Edinburgh, then taught on Skye and in Edinburgh, eventually becoming headmaster at Plockton High School. His poetry brilliantly demonstrated the capacity of Gaelic to express themes ranging from passionate love to contemporary political and intellectual issues. His first set of poems was published in 1940 and a bilingual edition of his Collected Poems appeared in 1989. Honoured with many major awards, including the Queen’s Medal for Poetry, Maclean was considered the greatest Gaelic poet of the twentieth century.