The Guidman's Daughter

The title of the collection, The Guidman's Daughter, refers to a special cycle of poems at the end of the book, concerned with Mary, Queen of Scots, the daughter of James V (the Guidman o'Ballengeich, as he was known). It is impossible not to be intrigued by the life of this tragic figure, and the poet's observations, so skilfully wrought, only add to the poignancy of her ill-fated tale.