MUSSELBURGH schoolchildren are on track to become the bards of the future after taking part in a series of ‘virtual’ poetry workshops.

The youngsters, from Campie Primary School, joined Dundee poet Gary Robertson to explore the history of the ‘daft days’, a term made famous by 18th-century Scots poet Robert Fergusson.

It described the fun, frivolity and merriment of the 12 days between Christmas and January 5.

The workshops, backed by supermarket chain Lidl, taught pupils how to pen their own ode to the festive season. Lidl commissioned Mr Robertson to pen his own homage to the ‘daft days’ using the Scots dialect and he is now encouraging pupils at Campie Primary and across the region to embrace Scots poetry this festive season.

Mr Robertson said: “Hosting the virtual workshops and seeing the passion school pupils have for the Scots language and for poetry was fantastic.

“Poetry is a great way to explore Scots, to celebrate our cultural heritage and our culture’s place in the modern world.

“The phrase ‘daft days’ is so unique to Scotland and this initiative has allowed us to champion the impact poetry has had on the festive season as it exists today all over the world.”

Ross Millar, Lidl’s regional director for Scotland, said: “It’s been great to work with Gary Robertson to champion the ‘daft days’ and Scots poetry.

“At Lidl we love to celebrate everything that is unique to Scotland from food to culture, and this project has allowed us to take that even further by championing the next generation of talent.”