F. Marian McNeill was a Scottish author and folklorist. She is best known for her works on Scottish culture, including The Scots Kitchen (1929) and the four-volume study The Silver Bough (1957–1968).
Florence Marian McNeill was born on 26 March 1885 in Holm, Orkney. Her father, Reverend Daniel McNeill, served as a minister of the Free Kirk. Her mother, Jessie Janet Dewar, came from Fochabers. Marian was the eighth of twelve children. Her family called her “Floss.” She studied at Kirkwall Burgh School, where she befriended the poet Edwin Muir.
In 1912, McNeill graduated with an MA from the University of Glasgow. She spent a year teaching English in France and Germany. In 1913, she returned to Britain and became an organiser for the Scottish Federation of Women’s Suffrage Societies. She later worked for the Association for Moral and Social Hygiene in London. After the First World War, she lived for a time in Greece.
McNeill returned to Scotland and worked for the Scottish National Dictionary. In 1929, she published The Scots Kitchen. The book presents the history, customs, and recipes of Scottish food. It includes dishes such as Cock-a-leekie soup, porridge, and Forfar bridies. In her words, the book is “so much more than a cookery book.” It records the social habits and traditions associated with food and drink in Scotland.
During the 1930s, McNeill participated in the Scottish Renaissance, a movement aimed at reviving national literature and culture. She helped found the Scottish National Party and later became its vice president. Her later works include the novel The Road Home (1932) and the study Iona: A History of the Island.
F. Marian McNeill received an MBE in 1962 for her services to Scottish culture. She died in Edinburgh on 22 February 1973.
Florence Marian McNeill was born on 26 March 1885 in Holm, Orkney. Her father, Reverend Daniel McNeill, served as a minister of the Free Kirk. Her mother, Jessie Janet Dewar, came from Fochabers. Marian was the eighth of twelve children. Her family called her “Floss.” She studied at Kirkwall Burgh School, where she befriended the poet Edwin Muir.
In 1912, McNeill graduated with an MA from the University of Glasgow. She spent a year teaching English in France and Germany. In 1913, she returned to Britain and became an organiser for the Scottish Federation of Women’s Suffrage Societies. She later worked for the Association for Moral and Social Hygiene in London. After the First World War, she lived for a time in Greece.
McNeill returned to Scotland and worked for the Scottish National Dictionary. In 1929, she published The Scots Kitchen. The book presents the history, customs, and recipes of Scottish food. It includes dishes such as Cock-a-leekie soup, porridge, and Forfar bridies. In her words, the book is “so much more than a cookery book.” It records the social habits and traditions associated with food and drink in Scotland.
During the 1930s, McNeill participated in the Scottish Renaissance, a movement aimed at reviving national literature and culture. She helped found the Scottish National Party and later became its vice president. Her later works include the novel The Road Home (1932) and the study Iona: A History of the Island.
F. Marian McNeill received an MBE in 1962 for her services to Scottish culture. She died in Edinburgh on 22 February 1973.
years of life: 26 March 1885 – 22 February 1973
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