[1] Scammell is perhaps best known for his songwriting, most notably, "Squid-Jiggin' Ground", which he wrote while still in high school, and The Six-Horsepower Coaker.
However, he also produced a significant body of work that was originally published in the magazine Atlantic Guardian, of which he was also a co-founder.
Through essays and stories, Scammell attempted to convey some of the positive aspects of life in Newfoundland outports, which, despite their disadvantages, he saw as providing a sense of community and personal satisfaction that larger centres lacked.
[2] In 1977, he received his Honorary Doctor of Laws from Memorial University of Newfoundland and, in 2011, he was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (for "Squid-Jiggin' Ground").
In 1985, the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council established an annual award for writers in his honour.