Saltire Society

The society was founded on 22 April 1936 in Glasgow, conceived by Andrew Dewar Gibb and George Malcolm Thomson,{{cite book |last1=Scott |first1=Paul Henderson |title=Scotland Resurgent: Comments on the Cultural and Political Revival of Scotland |date=2003 |publisher=The Saltire Society |isbn=9780854110834 |page=199 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U4E3KY1B9GQC&pg=PA199 |language=en}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=e7VAAAAAIBAJ&pg=2444%2C5477166 |title=Shielding our cultural candle for fifty years |first=Rob |last=Brown |work=The Glasgow Herald |page=11 |date=22 April 1986 |accessdate=18 December 2016}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fLVAAAAAIBAJ&pg=3448%2C5763980 |title=Saltire milestone |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=23 April 1986 |page=5 |accessdate=5 October 2016}} at which time the annual subscription cost five shillings. The society was "set up to promote and celebrate the uniqueness of Scottish culture and Scotland's heritage, and to reclaim Scotland's place as a distinct contributor to European and international culture".{{cite web |url=http://www.saltiresociety.org.uk/Downloads/Saltire-CommIssion-Report.pdf |title=Report of the Saltire Commission |publisher=Saltire Society |year=2011 |page=7}}

By the early 1950s, the society had almost 2000 members.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FE1AAAAAIBAJ&pg=2417%2C5804173 |title=Saltire Society's National View |page=7 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=30 June 1952 |accessdate=18 December 2016}} In 1954 they launched a literary magazine, The Scots Review, published three times a year.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PVtAAAAAIBAJ&pg=5014%2C3782830 |title=New Scots Magazine |work=The Glasgow Herald |page=5 |date=2 April 1954 |accessdate=18 December 2016}} In 1968 the society appointed their first full-time director, based at their headquarters at Gladstone's Land in Edinburgh.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cH1AAAAAIBAJ&pg=5919%2C4622351 |title=Director of Saltire Society |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=26 February 1968 |page=12 |accessdate=5 October 2016}} In 2001, the Saltire Society's head, Scott Peake, stepped down after newspaper investigations revealed that he had fabricated parts of his biography, including his alleged Scottish upbringing.{{Cite web| last=Demetriou| first=Danielle| date=2013-10-07| title=Goodbye, Mr Fake: Teacher forced to quit Bedales after exposure as a serial fantasist|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/goodbye-mr-fake-teacher-forced-quit-bedales-after-exposure-serial-fantasist-69755.html|access-date=2021-05-10 |website=The Independent|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Standard|first=Alexa Baracaia, Evening| date=2012-04-13|title=Fantasist teacher leaves Bedales|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/fantasist-teacher-leaves-bedales-6943203.html| access-date=2021-05-10|website=www.standard.co.uk|language=en}} In November 2012, ahead of the Scottish Independence referendum, the society looked to relaunch itself with a business plan that included lectures and debates centered around cultural issues.{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13080901.Saltire_Society_revamp_in_bid_to_inspire_debate_in_run_up_to_independence_poll/ |title=Saltire Society revamp in bid to inspire debate in run-up to independence poll |first=Phil |last=Miller |work=The Herald |date=15 November 2012 |accessdate=5 October 2016}}

Past presidents include Eric Linklater, architect Robert Matthew, architect Robert Hurd and literary scholar David Daiches.{{cite web |url=http://www.saltiresociety.org.uk/saltire-society/saltire-society-people/president/ |title=President Saltire Society |publisher=Saltire Society |accessdate=15 January 2014}}

The Saltire Music Group was founded by composer Isobel Dunlop in 1950.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

The Saltire Society is headquartered in Edinburgh, with branches in Aberdeen, Dumfries, Glasgow, Helensburgh, the Highlands, Kirriemuir, and New York City.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

In June 2018, the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews, Sally Mapstone, was appointed as president of the society.{{cite web |url=http://www.saltiresociety.org.uk/news/2018/06/01/new-president-announced |title=New President Announced |publisher=Saltire Society |accessdate=2 June 2018}}

The society organises lectures and publishes pamphlets, and presents a series of awards in the fields of art, architecture, literature and history.{{cite web |url=http://www.saltiresociety.org.uk/awards/ |title=Saltire Society Awards |publisher=Saltire Society |accessdate=15 January 2014}}

The Saltire Awards is a collective name for a series of awards presented by the Saltire Society in recognition of contributions to Scotland's cultural heritage. These include:

• Scotland's National Book Awards, formerly known as the Saltire Society Literary Awards, "the oldest... awards for Scottish based authors in their home nation"{{cite web |url=http://www.saltiresociety.org.uk/awards/literature/ |title=Saltire Society Literature Awards |publisher=Saltire Society |access-date=15 January 2013}}
• National Scottish Song Competition, established in 1980 to encourage young people to participate in traditional singing.{{cite web |url=http://www.saltiresociety.org.uk/awards/arts/song-competition/ |title=Saltire Society Song Awards |publisher=Saltire Society |accessdate=15 January 2013}}
• Arts and Crafts in Architecture Award{{cn|date=May 2023}}
• Saltire Society Civil Engineering Awards, awarded in association with the Institution of Civil Engineers{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12655462.Coveted_symbol_of_excellence/ |title=Coveted symbol of excellence |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=27 November 1991 |accessdate=25 February 2018}}
• Saltire Society Housing Design Awards{{cite web | title=Architecture | website= Saltire Society | date=19 November 2013 | url=https://www.saltiresociety.org.uk/awards/architecture/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420041750/https://www.saltiresociety.org.uk/awards/architecture/ | archive-date=20 April 2021 | url-status=dead | access-date=11 May 2023}}
• Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun Award, established in 1988, presented in recognition of "a significant contribution made to Scottish culture"{{cite web |url=http://www.saltiresociety.org.uk/awards/ |title=Saltire Society Awards |publisher=Saltire Society |accessdate=15 January 2013}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{official|https://www.saltiresociety.org.uk/sitemap}}

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Category:Cultural organisations based in Scotland

Category:1936 establishments in Scotland

Category:Culture of Scotland

Category:Scottish awards