This episode's guest is Dr Moira Hansen, whose PhD research explores the life and mental health of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet.
We talk about Moira’s work on Burns, including her argument that he may have experienced bipolar disorder, and how this might have shaped his life, his relationships, and some of his best-known works — including "Tam o’ Shanter". It’s a thoughtful conversation about literature, mental health, and how we read figures like Burns today.
01:30 – Moira's background and journey into Burns studies.
05:30 – Diagnosing an eighteenth-century poet.
18:40 – Impact of Burns's mental health on his personal, social and creative life.
28:10 – The Irvine episode: Burns's first depression?
40:10 – How Burns understood his own condition.
46:10 – Frances Dunlop: Burns's correspondent and confidante. 57:10 – A new reading of "Tam o' Shanter".
65:30 – Addressing recent controversies about Burns and gender.
74:20 – Moira's influence on Alan Cumming's recent adaptation of Burns for the stage.
77:39 – Moira's forthcoming research work.
This episode's guest is Billy Kay, the Scottish writer, broadcaster and lifelong advocate for the Scots language and the status of its speakers. Our conversation is, of course, in and about Scots, but we also journey further afield from the deep ties between Scotland and France to broader questions of Scotland's global identity.
03:30 – Billy Kay's upbringing as a Scots speaker and his inspiration for his best-selling book, The Mither Tongue.
11:47 – The linguistics and politics of Scots.
22:10 – Scots and social class.
35:17 – Billy Kay on his book, The Scottish World.
43:20 – The "Auld Alliance" and the wine trade.
53:09 – Billy Kay's view of the future and poetry reading.
This episode's guest is Taylor Strickland: a talented poet from the US who has learned Scottish Gaelic and recently won several awards for his superb translations of the 18th-century Jacobite poet, Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair. In 2025, Taylor also published his debut poetry collection, Dwell Time with Tapsalteerie Press.
We cover a lot of ground in this conversation, from Taylor’s journey into Gaelic and his translation work, to his broader thinking about poetry — and his deep admiration for the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa.
03:40 – Taylor's (poetic) journey from America to Scotland
13:20 – Taylor's transient poems and his vision of poetry
23:25 – Translating Gaelic Poetry into English
28:50 – Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair
45:50 – Portugal and Pessoa
56:18 – Final thoughts on poetry, national identi(es) and Taylor's upcoming works.
In this introductory episode, Dr Paul Malgrati presents his vision for The Carrying Stream and explains why he is launching a podcast devoted to Scottish words and ideas.
Episode 0 sets out the ethos of the project and the kind of long-form conversations the podcast aims to make space for.