Neil M. Gunn
Neil M. Gunn was a Scottish author born on November 8, 1891, in Dunbeath, Caithness, Scotland. Raised in a fishing family, he left home at a young age to pursue education and eventually became a customs and excise officer in London. His writing career began during World War I while stationed in Kinlochleven, leading to a literary recognition as a prominent figure in the Scottish Renaissance. Gunn's notable works include "Highland River," which solidified his status as a full-time writer, and he explored various genres such as historical fiction, detective stories, and metaphysical writing. His novels often reflect his deep appreciation for Scottish culture and landscapes, with titles like "The Silver Darlings" and "Butcher's Broom" addressing themes of local history and the impacts of societal changes. In addition to his literary contributions, Gunn was also involved in political activities, particularly with the Scottish National Party. He passed away on January 15, 1973, and his legacy is commemorated at the Dunbeath Heritage Center, which features an exhibit dedicated to his life and work.
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Subject Terms
Neil M. Gunn
Author
- Born: November 8, 1891
- Birthplace: Dunbeath, Caithness, Scotland
- Died: January 15, 1973
Biography
Neil Miller Gunn was born in Dunbeath, Caithness, Scotland, on November 8, 1891. His father, James, was a fisherman and captain of a herring boat, and his mother, Isabella Miller Gunn, was a domestic servant. Gunn was the seventh of nine children. He left Dunbeath in 1904 to live with an older sister and her husband in St John’s Town of Dalry, Kirkcudbrightshire. There he was tutored to prepare for civil service exams which he passed in 1907. He then moved to London, where in 1910 he became a customs and excise officer. Assigned to distilleries, he returned to Scotland, where he lived for the rest of his life.
During the First World War, he was stationed in Kinlochleven, where as a civilian he routed ships around minefields. It was at this time that he began to write. In 1921 he married Jessie Dallas “Daisy” Frew, the daughter of an Inverness jeweler. They lived in Wigan, England, for one year, then Lybster in Caithness, and finally settled in Inverness, where Gunn was appointed permanently to the Glen Mhor Distillery in 1924. Gunn sold short stories and novels throughout the 1920’s, although his play The Ancient Fire was a flop. He quickly became recognized as one of the leading members of the Scottish Renaissance. In the 1930’s Gunn was active in Scottish National Party politics in Inverness and served on the Committee on Post-War Hospitals in 1941 and the Commission of Inquiry into Crofting Conditions in 1951.
Gunn became a full-time writer in 1937, after the publication of Highland River, his most famous novel. That year, he and his wife moved to Brae near Dingwall, where they lived until 1949. In his writing, Gunn explored different genres. His historical novels include Sun Circle, set during the time of the Viking raids; Butcher’s Broom, about the Clearances, the period in which small farmers were forced off their land in favor of large landowners; and The Silver Darlings, describing the lives of herring fisherman in the nineteenth century. He explored the detective story in Bloodhunt, and fantasy in The Green Isle of the Great Deep. Metaphysical themes were present in works like The Key of the Chest, and he revealed an interest in Zen Buddhism in The Atom of Delight, his autobiography. His love for his native land is shown in Whisky and Scotland.
Gunn died on January 15, 1973. The school he attended in his hometown is now the site of the Dunbeath Heritage Center, where there is a permanent exhibit devoted to Gunn.