The White Heather Club Reassessed

Abstract

This article reassess the role of The White Heather Club in mid-20th century Scottish culture. Rejecting preconceptions that it fostered trite representations, it shows how the programme reflected rapid innovations in broadcasting and was a technically and culturally creative approach to home entertainment on the small screen. The White Heather Club brought Scottish entertainment into Scottish homes at a pivotal post-war period when World War II was still a living memory, and popular culture and standards of living were undergoing a period of rapid change. The White Heather Club, in short, should be considered as a record of popular Scottish entertainment; it incorporated aspects of, and deserves to sit alongside, the folk revival movement.