Songs of love, songs of exile, songs of heroes and of high comedy, songs of skullduggery, war and death are all part of Scotland's rich musical heritage.

Wilma Paterson, currently on holiday in Bermuda, has just completed the mammoth task of collecting 100 of the best "Songs of Scotland'' for her recently published volume of that name.

Alarmed that so many of her native songs, some of them hundreds of years old, were slipping into oblivion, Ms Paterson resolved to print the words, music and accompanying notes -- "biographical and historical'' -- of as many as possible. The result is a book that should be cherished, not only in her own Scotland, but around the world: After all, Scottish blood flows through many a vein in countries as far apart as the United States, Australia, Nova Scotia (which means "New Scotland'') or, indeed, Bermuda, where many locals are proud of their Scottish ancestry.

Noting that Scotland's "wonderful treasury of traditional song'', is arguably the richest in the whole of Europe, she says, "I knew that things were bad when I realised that my own children don't know most of our songs -- mainly because singing is no longer on the curriculum in most Scottish schools,'' explains the Dundee-born musician and composer who studied piano at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and composition in Florence. "I was also concerned that, although Gaelic is spoken quite widely in the Highlands, many of our Scottish words are being lost. So, by teaching the songs, some of the language will be retained. Incidentally,'' she adds, "this book was written with singers in mind but is also great for pianists and fiddlers!'' As noted in her Introduction, most of the songs included in the book were familiar to Scots of every class until the 1960s. They were taught in school, sung in concerts, frequently broadcast by the BBC Scottish Home Service (radio) and, most importantly, regularly sung and played at home. The advent of television, along with increasing anglicisation and economies imposed by the Scottish Education Department, dealt reeling blows to Scotland's unique heritage.

This book, with songs by such immortals as Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott and traditional ballads, some of which date back to the Middle Ages, appeals as much for its poetry as for its music. There is plenty of drama to be found in the verse, much of it concerned with Scottish nationalism and some Scots' resentment still simmering at the union of the Scottish and English parliaments in 1707.

Burns' most famous political song, for instance, "A Man's a Man for A' (all) That'', fuses ideas of nationalism with that of freedom and in that sense, was akin to the sentiments of Thomas Paine whose essay, "The rights of man'' had made such an impression a year or two before.

Some songs, explains Ms Paterson, found their way over to the New World in the 18th century: "We think of songs such as Barbara Allan and Amazing Grace which, of course, found its way back again and was `Top of the Pops' for nine weeks in the UK when it was recorded by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.'' "Songs of Scotland'' is designed and vividly illustrated by Alasdair Gray, an artist of great talent who is also a well known author. Over 20 of his novels have been translated into other languages. "He is one of my oldest friends,'' she reveals, "and a very famous figure in Glasgow. Yes, I was fortunate to have him as my illustrator, but we have actually talked about doing this book for years. He also feels very strongly about the loss of our Scottish songs which are an intrinsic part of our culture.'' In addition to her musical accomplishments, Wilma Paterson has also carved out for herself a parallel career as a writer on a variety of subjects. For many years the music critic of The Herald and The Independent, as well as a regular contributor to Radio Scotland, she also writes regularly for The Times and The Financial Times.

Well known for her travel writing, she wrote a major article on Bermuda for The Herald after her last visit here.

"I shall write another one when I return to Scotland, as this is my first visit in the winter. For people in Britain, your winter climate is perfect! Most of us are not too good in very hot, very humid weather, so I think most British people would find this weather very acceptable -- it's like a nice Scottish summer!'' An enthusiastic and knowledgeable bee-keeper, Ms Paterson also wrote an article on Randolph Furbert, president of the Bermuda Beekeepers' Association, for The Independent on Sunday newspaper.

"I met him on a previous visit and love to visit him when I'm here. People may be surprised to know that, although I live in Glasgow, I managed to get about 200 pounds of honey from only two hives -- almost up to Bermuda standards, although I understand you have two crops a year here!'' One of her previous books was "A Fountain of Gardens'' on the plants and flowers of the Bible. "There are lots of references to honey and bee-keeping in the Bible,'' she points out, "and my love of plants is one of the reasons why I love Bermuda so much. I would say, though, that one of the threats to Bermuda in general and bee-keeping in particular, is the rapid loss of open land here. There seems to be very little wild land left.'' Proof of her deep affection for the Island may be found in the fact that Wilma Paterson composed a setting of "The Bermudas'' by Henry Marvell, which was performed in Glasgow and led to a larger commission by the BBC.

She is the author of several cookery and recipe books, among them "Shoestring Gourmet'' (also illustrated by Alasdair Gray), "A Country Cup'' which concentrates on drinks ranging from herbals and liqueurs to wines and cordials, and "Lord Byron's Relish'' which is based on the poet's well documented and highly eccentric eating habits. Her next book will be "A Companion to the Islands'', featuring the history, flora and fauna of the Hebrides.

"As a composer I have done quite a few commissions, especially for the BBC and then journalism seemed to take over,'' she reflects. "I think this book on Scottish Songs is transitional in getting me back into the world of music and composing.'' "Songs of Scotland'' is published by Mainstream Publishing Company, of Edinburgh, Scotland.