Funny, scurrilous, chilling and gloriously inventive, Tam o' Shanter is widely regarded as Robert Burns' masterpiece. This magnificent edition of the poem features the work of Alexander Goudie, one of Scotland's greatest twentieth-century artists who, over a period of many years, was inspired by the poem to produce some of his most powerful and imaginative paintings, which capture all the menace and comedy of Burn's poem.

Together with introductory essays by historian Edward Cowan, literary critic Alan Riach (both of Glasgow University) and the artist's son, Lachlan Goudie, this is the definitive edition of one of the greatest works of Scottish literature.

'Alexander Goudie's Tam o'Shanter paintings represent an unparalleled achievement in 20th-century Scottish painting'

'Burns’s funny, scurrilous and gloriously inventive tale is brought to life by Goudie’s cycle of paintings that are full of energy and life and capture the complete essence of Tam'

'Deserves to be ranked among the best illustrated cycles in Scottish Art'

Alexander Goudie (1933 - 2004) is widely acclaimed as having been one of Scotland's finest figurative painters. He studied at the Glasgow School of Art and taught there for many years before dedicating himself to his own studio work. As a portraitist his sitters included Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Lord, Billy Connolly and a host of other figures drawn from the worlds of politics, commerce and entertainment.

Edward J. Cowan was formerly Professor of Scottish History at the University of Glasgow and Director of the university’s Dumfries Campus. He previously taught at the Universities of Edinburgh and Guelph, Ontario. A fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, he died in January 2022.