Hamish Henderson (1919-2002) was Scotland’s leading folklorist, as well as a major poet, soldier, socialist, songwriter, CND peace campaigner and anti-apartheid activist. His work as a folk-song collector at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Scottish Studies formed the bedrock of the Scottish folk revival. His lifetime of correspondence both private and through the columns of national newspapers is legendary. Such material forms a large part of the Trust’s work.

Hamish’s papers consist at present of around thirty boxes and suitcases of letters, journals, notebooks, ephemera and photographs, along with fragments of poems and songs, some unpublished. His correspondents include many of the 20th century’s leading folk singers, musicians, and scholars, political figures and activists, and other cultural luminaries.

The Trust’s main aim is to catalogue, preserve and maintain the archive with a view to enhancing the case for its acquisition by a national institution. We are delighted to announce that the Hamish Henderson papers have been purchased by Edinburgh University Library, and now form part of their Special Collections. This website is a place for us to share our progress with you, and in time, we hope it will become an additional internet resource for information on the life and works of Hamish Henderson.