ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the role that the Doric dialect has in the cultural heritage and folklore traditions of North-East Scotland, as well as how visitors to the region encounter it. The chapter considers the place of dialect in folklore more generally, the twin concerns of things lost and things to be preserved, and how and why Doric represents such a strong, visceral cultural marker for North-East Scotland. The chapter goes on to address the ways in which tourism, cultural, and heritage organisations have responded to this, and how the dialect is being deployed in contemporary idioms to enrich the experiences of visitors to the region. It considers how visitors come upon Doric, and the use of dialect by bodies such as Historic Environment Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland as part of their storytelling at properties. It also examines Doric in the context of the culinary heritage of the region. It concludes by considering the durability and survival of Doric and addresses the strong and prevailing belief that Doric is one of those things to be preserved.
