Poet and writer Iain Crichton Smith once observed, 'with Sorley MacLean one is aware first of all of the passion'. It is this spirit that the Scottish realist painter, Alexander Moffat, captured in his portrait of the Gaelic poet and campaigner Sorley MacLean. MacLean’s passion for literature, Highland culture and politics, as well as his emotional connection to the islands of Skye and Raasay are represented by the books, beret (expressing anti-fascist sympathies) and the impressive backdrop of the Cuillins. As well as being prominent in the revival of Gaelic literature and a staunch campaigner for the teaching of the Gaelic language in Scottish schools, MacLean was also a qualified English teacher. During his career he held posts in Tobermory, Hawick and Edinburgh, before being promoted to headmaster of Plockton High School, where he remained until his retirement in 1972.