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- Kaye McAlpine
Scottish Culture/Expert Profile
Expertise
Lifecycle (birth, marriage, death) customs in Scotland, Early Modern Scottish social customs, modern Scottish social customs, Border March laws and procedures, criminal processes and judicial execution practices, social history in Early Modern Scotland, ephemera printing in Scotland. While I have some knowledge of the clan system and function of the clan society (Highland and Lowland), I am not a an expert in clan genealogy. Having traced back my own family over a couple of centuries, and traced others due to academic research, I do know how the system works, however. This doesn't mean that I'm a genealogist. Please note that I do not speak Gaelic.
Experience in the area
Research Fellow (University of Edinburgh). Contributer to various books and journals on ballads, including Scottish Life and Society: A Compendium of Scottish Ethnology, The Ballad and History and The Harris Repertoire. Freelance tutor in outreach courses from Edinburgh University on Scottish Culture and Tradition, including lifecycle customs, broadsheet ballads in Scotland, the traditional ballad and history. Freelance writer, guest presenter on Ch4 History Hunters programme, contributor to BBC Radio Scotland's 'Songlines' series on 'The Dowie Dens of Yarrow'. Currently co-director of a media production company
Publications
Books: Forthcoming: The Gallows and The Stake Published: Compendium of Scottish Ethnology, vol. 10, chapter on The Traditional and the Border Ballad; The Harris Repertoire (2000, Scottish Text Society, co-editor), The Ballad in History (chapter on Border ballads). Journals include Folklore, The Review of Scottish Culture,Sottish Studies, and The Scottish Literary Journal
Education/Credentials
Ph D, M. Phil, BA (hons)
Average Ratings
Recent Reviews from Users
K = Knowledgeability C = Clarity of Response P = Politeness| User | Date | K | C | P | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ian | 01/09/12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | |
| Henry | 12/09/11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | |
| Leonard | 03/19/11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Thank you! |
| Scott | 01/31/11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Gave me some ideas and fresh thinking ..... |
| Roberta | 12/06/10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Thank you so much for the information ..... |
Recent Answers from Kaye McAlpine
2012-01-08 Jesus:
Dear Ian As I mention in my biog., I don't speak Gaelic, so I have no knowledge about the etymology of Gaelic words. I don't speak any Arabic languages either - however, as I understand it, the common
2011-12-18 accents:
Dear Sandra I don't know if it's the best queen's English - that is in terms of gammatical accuracy - but it is generally accepted that Invernesians have very clear inflections, making them some of
2011-12-06 Tartans:
Dear Henry I think the best place to look would be The Scottish Register of Tartans ( http://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/). It is the official registry, operated by the National Archives of Scotland (a
2011-11-10 Gaelic translation:
Dear Lucy I'm afraid that I can't help you. I do not speak Gaelic and I wouldn't like to offer suggestions for something as important and permanent as a tattoo. Have you thought about contacting some
2011-09-13 Scottish Clans:
Dear Judy First of all, as I have said many times before, I'm no genealogist, so I can't help directly with family traces. Secondly, and this may not be the news you're looking for, not all Scots are
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