Helen Burness Cruickshank

1886 - 1975

Poet and activist. Born at Hillside (Angus), Cruickshank was educated at Montrose Academy. In 1903, she joined the Civil Service working first in London and then, from 1912, in Edinburgh, living in the western suburb of Corstorphine until her death. Best known as a poet, writing in both Angus-Scots and English, her works include Up the Noran Water (1934) and Spring in the Mearns (1935).

Cruickshank also campaigned for womans' suffrage, was a staunch Scottish Nationalist and prominent member of the Saltire Society. She was an enthusiastic proponent of the renaissance in Scots literature and was a close friend and champion of several other Scottish writers, including Hugh MacDiarmid (1892 - 1978) and Lewis Grassic Gibbon (1901-35).

Cruickshank was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Edinburgh in 1971.

Use the tabs on the right of this page to see other parts of this entry

©2013 The Editors of The Gazetteer for Scotland
Supported by: The Robertson Trust,  The Royal Scottish Geographical Society,
  School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh.