Neil R MacCallum achieved much in his all too short life - piper, poet, editor, critic, Edinburgh town councillor, National Secretary of the Scottish National Party, Preses of the Scots Language Society, Scots Independent Arts columnist, founder of Merchants o Renoun (a poetry and play reading group) and most important of all, a friend and comrade-in-arms. The death of any man diminishes us all, and when that man was a true friend and leal Scot, the pain is even deeper. Made all the worse as his death was sudden and untimely - he still had much to do and achieve.

My acquaintance and lasting friendship with Neil goes back over thirty years. We first met through our joint desire for Scottish freedom in the ranks of the Scottish National Party at meetings of the Party's National Council and annual Bannockburn Rallies. Indeed it was at an event following the June 1972 Bannockburn Day Rally which laid the foundation of that friendship which not only would span the years but went beyond the world of politics into the rich vein and traditions of Scottish Literature. But, first things first, that June night Neil, his friend from school days, Ian Hamilton, my friend Duncan MacMaster from Leslie and I  decided that we would attend that year's Plaid Cymru Conference in Rhyl. So October saw us all kilted, Neil with his pipes, setting off by train to the Welsh seaside town. A marvellous time was had by one and all. Plaid Cymru activists laid out the red carpet for us including a factory visit! And we were not even the official SNP visitors to the Blaid Conference - they were our friends, James Halliday and David R Rollo - but we were there first, with Neil's piping proving to be a major hit. As we just enjoyed ourselves, Neil with his poet's eye was laying down the background to use in his major poem 'Answering With An Echo' - a poem described by his fellow makkar Donald Campbell as 'one of the finest poems on the deracination of the Gael'. Neil wrote -

From then until the 1980s, some or all of us, made the pilgrimage to Wales to pay our respects to the sister Party of  the Scottish National Party - Plaid Cymru. But Neil was the only one present in 1981 when the grand old man of Welsh politics, Gwynfor Evans, stood down after thirty-six years as President of Plaid Cymru.

It was in 1973 that Neil produced his first slim poetry volume 'Out of Charity' in conjuction with his friend and fellow poet Alex Wilson. It included 'Answering With An Echo' and was a sell-out. We had kept in touch and Ian Hamilton would bring Neil over to pipe at Folk Nights that I ran in the early 70s in Glenrothes.

In 1977 Neil was elected as an Edinburgh town councillor and played a full part in the five strong SNP Group. He lost his Wester Hailes seat in 1980, but that loss was to prove to be the Scottish National Party's gain. Neil was a well organised and disciplined individual and in 1980 took on the role of SNP Assistant National Secretary, and went on to make his mark on the Party as National Secretary from 1981 to 1986. It was a difficult time for the Party and Neil was at the heart of it all, forming an efficient team with Irene White at SNP Headquarters, Neil held Irene in the highest esteem, in support of then Party Convener Gordon Wilson. Neil was effectively doing two full time jobs - his daily darg with Edinburgh & Lothian Health Board and the unpaid task of being National Secretary. On top of that he found time to stand as a Parliamentary candidate in 1983 and chaired the SNP Commission of Inquiry and was editor of the committee's report in 1984. Ill health sadly brought his term of office as National Secretary to an end in 1986 but he had trained his successor, John Swinney, well. Neil was proud of the fact that John Swinney went on to be SNP Convener and Leader of the Opposition SNP group in the Scottish Parliament. John generously acknowledges his vast debt to Neil.

Neil now turned to his love of Scottish literature and knowledge of the Guid Scots Tongue. We were active together in the Scots Language Society and, indeed, Neil went on to be Preses of the Society and editor of the Society's magazine 'Lallans'.'Lallans' is the only magazine entirely written in Scots, and Neil's deep knowledge of Scots shone through the issues he edited. Before tackling 'Lallans' he had for several years edited 'Scots Glasnost' (mainly written in Scots), for which I acted as Business manager and our good friend John Inness as printer. Unfortunately John's untimely death from cancer also led to the demise of the printed version but Neil and I had already started doing poetry readings under the Scots Glasnost banner and these continued.Thanks to Donald Smith of The Netherbow, the Kirk's theatre was one of our regular venues. From Scots Glasnost, Neil developed Merchants o Renoun, a far larger group of readers and musicians, and play readings were added to poetry. At the time of his death Neil was Honourary Preses of Merchants o Renoun. His deep knowledge of Scottish Literature and keen theatrical eye resulted in programmes of the highest quality.

This knowledge was also essential in various other work, such as the joint editing of 'The New Makars' with his friend and fellow poet Dr David Purvis of an anthology of 21 years writing from 'Lallans', and in the recordings he made for Scotsoun, under the auspices of Dr George Philp. His own poetry appeared in Lallans, Life and Work, The New Makars (Anthology), Scots Glasnost, Scots Independent and the West Coast Magazine. He followed in the footsteps of Alexander Scott and Donald Campbell as Arts Columnist for the Scots Independent for a number of years. The Scots Independent published his poems in Scots and English in a volume entitled 'Portrait of a Calvinist' in 1991. For the Scots Independent's 70th anniversary in 1996 Neil edited a splendid book of articles contributed to the SI by the poet Alexander Scott entitled 'Sing Frae The Hert' - the title coming from the work of Alexander Scott.

Neil. also, did much work in connection with the Scottish Poetry Library, acting as membership secretary and serving on the SPL committee. His own poetry was of the highest quality and he made interesting translations of several European languages, mainly into Scots. Some of his own work reached an audience outwith his beloved Scotland, being translated into Italian and German. At the time of his death Neil was heavily involved in doing translations of French poetry in collaboration with Kirkcaldy poet Tom Hubbard as well as advising Austrian lecturer and writer Heidi Pruger on an anthology of Scottish poetry she was to compile with Neil as editorial assistant. Heidi described Neil as 'ma stern's licht' in opening up the world of Scottish Literature to her. 'A Stern's Licht' was to be the title of a further poetry volume Neil had for several years on the stocks - and I would hope that, in tribute to Neil, the Scots Independent will ensure the book's publication. The Scottish Poetry Library have already offered to host the launch of same.

Since 1981 Neil has been one of the backbone supporters of the annual  commemoration of Alexander III and 'The Golden Age' of Scottish history which I organise each year in March at the Alexander III Memorial, Pettycur, Fife. He has over the years shared the speakers role with our our mutual friend and historian James Halliday. Unfortunately we will no longer be standing on Burntisland Station hoping that the Edinburgh train is on time! Neil was a passionate user of public transport.

Neil's death will be sairlie felt by his many friends and our deepest condolences are extended to his father Duncan and his brother, also, Duncan. But Neil lives on in our hearts as we remember the joy and fun he brought with his friendship and Merchants o Renoun are to arrange a suitable memorial to Neil at the Scottish Poetry Library.

I would finish on a personal note with a quote (suitably altered) from one of Neil's favourite Irish poets, William Butler Yeats -

                                Peter D Wright

In Memorian
Neil R MacCallum
1954 - 2002
SNP National Secretary 1981 - 86