Pickin' Tatties near Arbroath

Available for over a year

Folklorist and singer Steve Byrne sets out the concept of 'Dig Where You Stand' using an example from his home town of Arbroath on the East Coast of Scotland. Whilst digitising archive tapes from the School of Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh, he came across the songs of Mabel Skelton recorded by Hamish Henderson in the mid 1980s. The song 'Pickin' Tatties' struck a chord and resulted in Steve taking it back to the town and teaching it to school children. He takes us to the spot where the song was born and discusses the cultural confidence that comes from connecting local people with their own traditions. And how this concept has been utilised in other parts of the world. Written and presented by Steve Byrne Produced by Helen Needham Mixed by Ron McCaskill A BBC Audio Scotland Production made in Aberdeen for BBC Radio 3