Nine ways of looking at rain

When people think of Scotland, rightly or wrongly, they often think of rain. And Scots, in turn, have had much to say about the weather. Our exhibition 'Rain' explores the many ways that wet weather has influenced Scotland.

We dive into Scotland's relationship with rain, from weather forecasting to rain-soaked love stories, to the climate emergency, and everything in between. The following items capture just some of the many ways rain has shaped Scotland’s culture.

1. 'Tam O'Shanter' paper concertina

An exhibition on Scotland's relationship with wet weather wouldn't be complete without a copy of our national bard's epic and iconic poem 'Tam O'Shanter'.

"Weel mounted on his gray mare, Meg
A better never lifted leg
Tam skelpit on thro' dub and mire;
Despisin' wind and rain and fire."
Robert Burns, excerpt from 'Tam O'Shanter'

This beautiful book is a paper-cut leporello (concertina) by artist Joanna Robson (2022). Without words, it shows Tam and his trusty horse Meg running through a storm, fleeing witches and warlocks.

The 'rainy reading corner' at the back of the exhibition includes an anthology of Burn's poems for visitors to browse.

2. James Hutton's 'Theory of Rain'

Scottish scientist James Hutton has been called "the world's first rock star" for his contributions to geology. He was a pioneering scientist whose 'Theory of Rain' shaped how we understand the water cycle. Hutton’s theory explored the relationship between air temperature and humidity. This helped him to understand why clouds form and what causes these clouds to produce rain.

We are delighted to display our copy of Hutton's 'Theory of Rain'. Alongside it is a pair of rain gauges, kindly loaned to us by the James Hutton Institute, an interdisciplinary Scottish research centre.

3. Gaelic 'Raincloud' artwork

Scotland has three official national languages: English, Gaelic and Scots. Each of them has evolved to give us many ways to describe the weather, from dìle to dreich, and from smirr to smugrach. Pupils at Raasay Primary School made a raincloud artwork, showcasing different rainy words and phrases in Gaelic.

The children worked with a local Gaelic lecturer from Sabhal Mòr Ostaig to learn some new Gaelic words and added them to their picture. In the exhibition, you can add other rainy words and phrases to our shared raincloud.

4. 'Raindrop' (1975)

As well as showcasing items from our print collections, this exhibition features 'Raindrop' (1975), a poetic documentary made by Edward McConnell. Combining artistic nature footage with a startingly original guitar and fiddle score from Iain McHaffie, it evokes the water cycle and the importance of rain within Scotland's landscapes.

McConnell made the film from footage he’d shot for a whisky distillery. The resulting films (‘Raindrop’ 1975, ‘A Dram Like This’ 1972, and ‘The Water of Life’ 1972) reflect the breadth of McConnell’s practice as maker of promotional documentaries and as an experimental artist.

All of these films are preserved by the National Library of Scotland. You can read more about Edward McConnell and watch his films, including Raindrop, on our Moving Image Archive.

'Raindrop' tells the story of a drop of rain, from a dripping leaf to a rushing stream. Across the gallery, you can see a more detailed diagram of the water cycle, so you can understand some of the science behind the film. There’s other rain-themed footage across the exhibition, too, from floods in Dumfries and Aberdeenshire to wash-out summer picnics at Dalmeny.

5. 'Singin' in the Rain' pressbook (1952)

Many musicians have used rain to convey emotions, from the joy of 'Singin' in the Rain' to the melancholy of Travis's 'Why Does it Always Rain on Me'. We’ve curated a playlist to accompany the exhibition, which you can listen to on Spotify.

We are showcasing our original press book from the film 'Singin' in the Rain', which features one of the most iconic rainy scenes in cinema, alongside some rainy sheet music and a selection of CDs and vinyl that visitors can choose to listen to as they walk around the exhibition. See if you can spot your favourite in the gallery!

6. Illustrated recipe book of Katherine Jane Ellice (1846 to 1859)

Rain has often forced us to innovate, finding new ways to stay dry when we must go out in the wet weather. One of the most famous of such Scottish innovations was the invention of the Mackintosh raincoat (which you can see in the gallery on loan from Mackintosh Ltd.).

Another example in the exhibition is a recipe for waterproofing clothing, from the recipe book of Katherine Jane Ellice, a Scottish artist and diarist. At this time, recipe books included instructions for household goods, as well as recipes for food and drink.

Ellice's book is a particularly beautiful example thanks to her detailed and often humorous pen drawings that accompany the text. In one recipe, Ellice gives directions on how to waterproof (or ‘reparize) clothing so as to avoid using umbrellas, which, according to Ellice, "in windy weather are worse than useless!"

7. 'Rainy' fiction

Many Scottish writers have featured rain in their work, either to convey a particular emotion, or sometimes as a plot device. Our curators have chosen a selection of works from Scotland, and some from further afield, which use rain in different ways.

"It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs."
Mary Shelley, 'Frankenstein'

From the rain-soaked love scenes made famous by Jane Austen and the Brontes, to gothic horror like 'Dracula' and 'Frankenstein', to children's books including 'Winnie the Pooh' and 'The Cat and the Hat', this section is all about recognising the ways rain can make us feel.

8. Rain cancels cricket

Rain is often disruptive, particularly in sports. Many of us have experienced the frustration of a cancelled or delayed sporting match. Many readers will remember Cliff Richard’s impromptu performance when rain suspended play on Centre Court at Wimbledon in the 1990s!

This scorebook shows rain stopping play for the Scotland women's cricket team in 2011. It is part of our recent acquisition of the Cricket Scotland archive, which holds records relating to the men's, women's and junior teams.

9. 'Daemonologie' (1597)

One of the highlights of the Library's rare books collection, 'Daemonologie' was written by James VI in 1597. He believed that witches had conjured the storms that delayed the arrival of his new Queen, Anne of Denmark.

The King's fascination with witches and weather influenced contemporary thought and culture, perhaps most famously in 'Macbeth' (c.1606), where the witches are often depicted in tempestuous weather.

'Rain' runs until April 2027 and is free to visit.