Waxing Saltirical: The Scottish Warrior Poet

Just who is this Charlie McAulay Robertson, why should I buy his book?

Well, to be honest, I’m just an ordinary man with a passion for my beloved Scotland. The country of my birth, which until a decade ago, her history I knew very little about. I was born in the town of Paisley, just south of Glasgow and just a few miles from Elderslie, the birthplace of Sir William Wallace, although some will dispute that fact.

Irrespective of where he was born is somewhat irrelevant in my mind, the main factor is, that he was born and as our history will tell you, he rose to become one of, if not the greatest of Scotland’s patriots.

Now like Wallace that patriotism lay dormant in me for most of my life. Yes I would shout as loud as the next man while watching our nation competing with another during a sporting tournament. But, some ten years ago I moved from the populous and the stresses of town life and across the Firth of Clyde to a small hamlet in the hills above Dunoon called Clachaig, where one day during a visit to an event down in the towns stadium, I came across a man who would end up on of my greatest friends. He was selling Targes, hand made by himself , which are shields used by Scots during battles back in the day of hand to hand combat.

Being clad in full highland dress he caught my eye and I my curiosity got the better of me. I had a wander over and picked up one of the targes and he was quick to respond to my interest. We got chatting for a while, I told him I had just recently moved across to the Cowal peninsula. He asked if I was a member of The Society of William Wallace, to which I replied no. He appeared very surprised to hear this. “Geez man, your from Paisley, ye must be joking”. He told me about it and many others.

I went for a wander round the other stalls that were there, but nothing took my eye and that fateful meet with Malcolm McNeill had stirred something within me.

I returned to his stall and he spoke of the societies and groups that he and his father were involved with. I left him after giving him my phone number and a week later he called to invited me to the raising of the Jacobite standard at Glenfinnan where I subsequently met up with many patriots that stirred my heart and blood all the more.

I later became a member of The Wallace Society, The Andrew de Moray Society and the Jacobite organisation Na fir Dilias “The Loyal Men”. Travelled to many a battle sight to commemorate the many lives that were lost during Scotland’s struggles for her independence. That is when I discovered my ability to put event descriptions into verse. The ability to do this was brought to the fore when it was announced that a referendum was to be held for the country to decide on its future, whither to remain or leave the political union that had been forced upon us with England over three centuries ago, I say forced, as this country as a whole was in no way in agreement with it.

So the bulk of this book contains my satirical rants at an England based parliament, hell bent on retaining the said union for reasons that many a Scot was oblivious to, due to the propaganda that was being continually forced upon us by the media.

I wrote many a verse after seeing newspaper articles and hearing such blatant untruths being thrown at us at every turn by the broadcasting corporations. So now you know a wee bit about this man Charlie, a patriot, some say a wordsmith, but to me I am just a proud Scot who can “Wax Saltirical” and who was continually asked to have my work published.

I do hope you enjoy it, the humour, the passion, the anger and I hope it might stir yours.

Thig ar latha, Slainte mahth !!

Our day will come..

Good health.

©harlie..