Byron's Scots song

Bill MacDonald (Letters, 14 March) seems in favour of Dark Lochnagar as a national anthem except for the fact that he believes Byron was an Englishman.

By The Newsroom

Published 17th Mar 2010, 20:27 BST

Updated 17th Mar 2010, 20:41 BST

It is true that Byron was born in London in 1788, but he was the son of Catherine Gordon of Gight, who was the 13th Laird Gight in her own right. Byron was named George Byron Gordon, as was required by her parents' marriage contract. Both he and his mother were descended from King James I of Scots. Mrs Byron and her son moved to Scotland in 1789 and Byron was brought up in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire and he attended Aberdeen Grammar School. He did not even particularly identify with England.

STEPHEN BUNYAN

East Links,

Dunbar

Englishman