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F. Marian McNeill led quite a busy life; she was deeply involved both in social work and in the literary and cultural revival movement in Scotland. She was active in politics, serving as the organizer for the Scottish Federation of Women’s Suffrage Societies from 1912-1913, then later becoming a vice president of the Scottish National Party in the 1930s. She also worked as a researcher and principal assistant on the Scottish National Dictionary. She was especially passionate about preserving Scottish folklore and culture. Besides The Scots Kitchen, she also wrote The Silver Bough, a four-volume study of Scottish folklore, and The Scots Cellar, a book about beverages and drinking customs in Scotland. In 1962, she was made an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for her services to Scottish culture.

The Scots Kitchen is a truly fascinating book, and one I would highly recommend to anyone interested in Scottish food. I will almost certainly be making more recipes from this book in the future – although I will probably make my way through the baking section first, and leave the haggis for last!