On November 21 1835 James Hogg, the poet known as the Ettrick shepherd, died in Ettrick.

Hogg is primarily known today not only as the author of a series of pastoral poems, but also as the writer of the novel, Confessions of a Justified Sinner, widely regarded as the first piece of modern Scottish fiction. A contrary figure in real life, Hogg almost bankrupted himself in attempts to be a successful shepherd - leading to his literary friends dubbing him "the Ettrick Shepherd".

On this day in 1880 Sir Alexander Cockburn, the celebrated Scottish jurist, died. Cockburn served as Lord Chancellor of England & Wales between 1874 and 1880. Although he had filled the position since 1859, he was the first person to be legally defined so. His definition of obscenity was used by the British and American legal systems until 1933, when it was rejected in America in a case involving the James Joyce' novel, 'Ulysses'. He also gave a landmark ruling on the definition of criminal insanity.

Today's recipe: in-season pomegranate decorates this sweet saffron yoghurt pudding.