See yoo McTintin! Hergé's hero gets a Scottish makeover as comic book is translated into dialect



He has battled villains across the globe, captivating generations of readers, and now the legions of devoted Tintin fans will see him face one of his biggest challenges – speaking in Scots.

The endearing Belgian cartoon boy reporter will don a kilt as he scampers around the Highlands conversing in Scottish dialect in a new translation of one of his classic adventures.

But Tintin purists may be horrified to learn that the wholesome hero’s Scots adventure at times evokes memories of drunken Glaswegian comedy character Rab C Nesbitt.

Aye opener: How Tintin's adventure translates into a Scots dialect

The Black Island, which sees Tintin on the trail of international counterfeiters, has been translated into The Derk Isle and is about to be published north of the border.

Many of Tintin’s familiar cohorts are given new names. Hapless detectives Thomson and Thompson become Nisbet and Nesbit – a nod to the fictional alcoholic made famous on TV in the 1990s. Meanwhile Tintin’s dog, Snowy, becomes Tarrie, Scots for ‘terrier’.

In one scene Tintin is on a train when he is held by a guard who mistakes him for a crook. In the English version Tintin says: ‘Let me go! A man just jumped off the train. We must follow him.” The guard replies, ‘You can’t fool me.’ The Scots version, published by Taigh na Teud, reads: ‘Dinna staund like a stookie! A man lowpit aff the train. We maun follae him!’ The guard replies: ‘Nane o yer haivers, noo!’

'Adventurs o Tintin': The cover of the book, which has been translated from the original French by Dr Susan Rennie

Tarrie's maister: Names of beloved characters have been changed to reflect Scots dialect

The original: Tintin's Belgian creator George Remi - pen name Herge - in 1958

The Black Island is the seventh of the Tintin adventures, written by George Remi under the pen name Hergé, which have been published in more than 70 languages selling more than 200 million copies.

Dr Susan Rennie, from Glasgow University, who translated the book from its original French, said the characters remained true to Hergé’s vision but were meant to be accessible to Scottish people.

She said: ‘I am sure fans of Tintin both old and new will find a lot to love, and I also hope it will encourage more people to engage with the Scots language.’