Alan Cumming has picked his favourite Scottish word, and it’s ‘boorach’. The word means a mess or a confusion, and it’s hard to think of a more satisfying word to say out loud. Cumming shared it with Scots Magazine journalist Joanna Splate during a personal visit to DC Thomson’s Dundee office.
‘Boorach’ is this week’s Scottish Word of the Week on Scots Magazine’s Instagram, announced with the kind of warmth the series has become known for. “What a boorach!” is the example given. It’s already the sort of phrase that wants to find its way into daily conversation.
Beyond the word, the full feature runs in Gallivant, DC Thomson’s free-to-sign-up travel and lifestyle publication. Cumming takes readers on a personal tour of Pitlochry, a pretty Highland town he knows well through his theatre work there. He recommends Jessie’s Cafe as one of his favourite spots for a bite to eat. Tips like that feel genuine. They mean more from someone who spends real time in a place.
Cumming serves as Artistic Director at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. It’s a significant creative role and one he’s spoken about with clear affection. The theatre has a long history in Scottish cultural life. The Gallivant feature gives readers a look at what that work actually involves. For those who know him primarily as an actor, it’s a quieter, warmer side of his life.
The Scottish Word of the Week series has become a regular fixture for Scots Magazine. It invites well-known figures to spotlight words from the Scots language and keep them in active use. ‘Boorach’ isn’t a word collecting dust in a dictionary. It belongs in everyday speech. That’s exactly what the series is about.
Cumming has spoken openly about his love for Scotland over the years. Born in Aberfeldy and raised in Angus, he went on to build an international career. Broadway, Hollywood, and a long run on the CBS drama The Good Wife all followed. The Pitlochry role represents something different: a chance to put down deeper roots in Scottish cultural life, not just pass through.
The Gallivant feature is available now. A free sign-up through the Scots Magazine site gets you access. For anyone planning a trip to Pitlochry, or simply looking to add one very good word to their vocabulary, it’s a warm and unhurried read. Add ‘boorach’ to your everyday speech too. Cumming clearly thinks it deserves the spotlight.
