On the back of an encouraging turn in the US midterm elections, it was a welcome start to the day to get the latest Poetry Scotland and Gallus issues through the post, featuring some fabulous poets – Scots Machar Peter Mackay, for one, and a wonderful wintering poem on the cover, by the always-leaves-me-lost-for-words Cáit O’Neill McCullagh.

It was great to see some local Aberdeenshire poets in there too – Marka Rifat, who won the Toumlin Prize in 2025, and Scots and Doric performer Lucy Beth.

I was very happy meanwhile to be found lurking with a wee poem on page 10. A true story…

Poetry Scotland is edited by Andy Jackson and Judith Taylor.

Lunch at the Balmoral was published in issue 112 in Nov. 2026.

You can subscribe to Poetry Scotland here.