He’s an Ayrshire man through and through and speaks in a distinctive Kilmarnock – make that Kilmaurnock – Scots.
So it’s something of a surprise to learn that Stuart Paterson was born in a Cornwall convent and spent 14 years in Salford and Manchester.
Now firmly ensconced in sunny Kirkbean, the 56-year-old wordsmith and poet is a passionate advocate of his native tongue. After leaving Truro as a toddler, Stuart grew up in Muirkirk – pronounced Mairkirk locally – then Kilmarnock where his Scots-speaking family and community forged the linguistic stamp he cherishes to this day.
