The thistle is the national flower of Scotland, much like the rose is the national flower of England and the United States. Today we’re going to look at two interesting things about this flower, the tale as to why it became the national flower and also the unofficial national anthem it inspired.

There are several different legends that tell how the thistle became Scotland’s symbol, but most date from the reign of Alexander III and in particular the events surrounding the Battle of Largs in 1263.

It is often forgotten, that for hundreds of years much of Scotland was part of the Kingdom of Norway. By 1263 however, Norway seems to have had little interest in their former territory.  That was until King Alexander III proposed to buy back the Western Isles and Kintyre from the Norse King Haakon IV. The thought of relieving King Alexander of some of his riches and territories appears to have re-kindled Norse interest in Scotland.

Late in the summer of 1263 King Haakon of Norway, now intent on conquering the Scots, set off with a sizeable fleet of longships for the Scottish coast. Gales and fierce storms forced some of the ships onto the beach at Largs in Ayrshire, and a Norwegian force was landed.

Legend has it that at some point during the invasion the Norsemen tried to surprise the sleeping Scottish Clansmen. In order to move more stealthily under the cover of darkness the Norsemen removed their footwear. But as they crept barefoot they came across an area of ground covered in thistles and one of Haakon’s men unfortunately stood on one and shrieked out in pain, thus alerting the Clansmen to the advancing Norsemen.

His shout warned the Scots who defeated the Norsemen at the Battle of Largs, thus saving Scotland from invasion. The important role that the thistle had played was recognised and so was chosen as Scotland’s national emblem.

‘Flower of Scotland’ is considered the unofficial national anthem of Scotland.

There are several other songs that have been considered to be the unofficial national anthem of Scotland including; Scots Wha Hae, Scotland the Brave and the more recent Highland Cathedral. Although in July 2006, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted an online poll in which voters could choose a national anthem from one of five candidates.10,000 people took part in the poll in which Flower of Scotland came out the winner.

The lyrics were written by Roy Williamson (1936-90) and the song was performed initially by The Corries, a Scottish folk band, and refers to the victory of the Scots, led by Robert the Bruce, over England’s Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. The music is actually somewhat older, and was composed by Peter Dodds McCormick (c1834-1916) who emigrated to Australia as a young man, and also composed the National Anthem of Australia, “Advance Australia Fair”.

The song is also known as Flùr Na H-Alba” in Scottish Gaelic, and “Flouer O Scotland” in Scots.

The title has also been used for a history book: The Flower Of Scotland: A History Of Scottish Monarchy by James J. Sharp, and for the biography of Roy Williamson, which was published by his daughter Karen in 1993.

There also exists a Flower of Scotland tartan which was created in the early 90′s to honour the late Roy Williamson. The design is based on the setting and thread count of the Gunn tartan, as worn by Roy Williamson, using the traditional 18th-century colours of Lichen Green and Lochan Blue although it has no Clan or family affiliation and therefore is available for all to wear.

Thistle Products from ScotClans…

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In the Scottish sword dance the dancer crosses two swords on the ground in an “X” shape, dances around and within the 4 quarters of it.  There are different versions of this dance including  the ‘Highland Fling’ which involves a fast dance steps atop a targe, and the Dirk dance involves either one or two dancers, each holding a single Dirk.  Also The Argyll Broadswords, The Jacobite Sword Dance, The Clansmen Sword Dance, The Broadswords of Lochiel and the Lochaber Broadswords to name but a few.

The Sword Dance

Legend tells that Ghillie Callum was a Celtic prince, the anglacized version of this name is Malcolm Canmore.  It is said that the prince crossed his sword over that of a defeated enemy one of the MacBeth’s Chiefs at the Battle of Dunsinane in 1054 and danced round and over the naked blades in triumph at the defeat of the chief.

Malcolm was the son of King Duncan of Scotland whom Macbeth, the Earl of Moray, defeated and killed in the year 1040 and took the crown of Scotland. This is the same Macbeth about whom William Shakespeare wrote his famous play.  Malcolm had been in hiding in England, dreaming of returning to Scotland and reclaiming his fathers throne.  It was after his return when he won the battle that this dance of triumph took place.

From here the sword dance evolved into a traditional battle dance performed by Highland warriors, to a test of skill and agility.  To do the sword dance the back is straight and shoulders square. The arms when raised in 3rd position are curved and held steady. The wrists are held firm at Akimbo with elbows square.  All of this shows and takes great strength and control, then there is the precision needed with the footwork as the person moves between the blades, which must not be touched.  To touch or displace the swords was a bad omen and was indicative of losses or even defeat.

There is another origin to the sword dance which dates back to he Norwegian invasion of Northern Scotland and the Hebrides, is The Sword Dance of Papa Stour – a small island off the west coast of Shetland.

“This dance is performed by seven dancers representing the seven champions of Christendom – St Andrew of Scotland, St George of England, St David of Wales, St Patrick of Ireland, St Dennis of France, St James of Spain and St Anthony of Italy.

Each champion carries a sword at his side. The dance is preceded by an exhortation to each champion, with Scotland’s champion being called thus -

Thou kindly Scotsman come thou here,
Thy name is Andrew of fair Scotland,
Draw out thy sword that is most clear,
And fight for the King with thy right hand.

There follows an intricate dance in which the champions move in circles, forming arches and patterns with their swords, holding the hilt in their right hand and the point of the next sword in their left. Eventually they are all intertwined to form a seven-pointed star, which is held aloft. The wonderful colour of the sashes worn by the champions coupled with their intricate movements, agility and grace makes this dance a wonderful spectacle.”
The above article is attributed to the late Charlie Mill 1940 – 2004

Today the sword dance can be performed with 1 or 2 (maybe more) dancers and can be seen performed at Highland Games.

Beside the sword dance, there were the combative dances. Traditionally, these dances were taught to boys from a young age, along with other Highland weapons

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Eugene the Piper plays ‘Bonnie Galloway’ during protests in Kiev

As violence and unrest continues to engulf Kiev, footage emerged last week of a brave bagpiper playing ‘Bonnie Galloway’ as bullets hurtled past. Known simply as Eugene, the Ukrainian piper gave a rendition of the famous Scots tune despite having being shot in the ear with a rubber bullet.

The self taught piper told the Daily Record he was inspired to play during the protests by Scottish pipers who marched with soldiers at war. He said his experience had made it possible for him to imagine what pipers felt during battles, stating he played to support the protestors fighting to remain independent of Russia.

“When musicians play during a riot, it means the people involved are not terrorists or extremists. It means they are normal people fighting for their rights and their state. I was emotional given what was happening around me.”

After being hit, Eugene only stopped playing the pipes due to the plunging temperatures. He described how police fired plastic pellets during the protests at the spot where he was standing with journalists, saying: “Fragments hit my hands and face but I was fortunate they did not hit my eyes.”

Eugene said he believes music is very important when people are fighting for their future. “It does not matter even what instrument you play but, oddly enough, the great ­Scottish bagpipes fit very well into this role. In most cases I played Ukrainian folk tunes and people reacted positively. People thanked me and asked me to play more as the bagpipes gave them moral support.”

Eugene has been playing for five years and has performed at Scottish-themed weddings and functions in Ukraine. Despite his passion for piping, Eugene has never been to Scotland. He said: “I would like to see real teachers of piping so I can learn properly.”

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The Elephant Sessions performing at Northern Roots 2013. Photo by Roddy Mackenzie.

Hailing from Inverness, The Elephant Sessions are an upcoming act set to make waves on the traditional Scottish music scene this summer. I caught them last year at a gig in Edinburgh, where they blasted through a set of the grooviest folk music I’ve ever heard. They’re currently recording their debut album off the back of a successful online fundraising campaign, so I recently caught up with guitarist Mark Bruce to find out more:

Describe the members of the Elephant Sessions and the instruments you play:
The Elephant Sessions are:

• Euan Smillie – Fiddle
• Greg Barry – Drums
• Alasdair Taylor – Mandolin
• Seth Tinsley – Double bass
• Mark Bruce – Guitars.

Where are you from and how did you guys meet?
We met through a mutual love of traditional music and the fact we have similar ideas of how the folk/traditional genre can be pushed by adding influences from other genres. Four of us hail from the Highlands of Scotland, and Seth is from Northumberland.

You’re all excellent musicians – I was wondering how long you’ve been playing and how you got into this type of music?
We have all been playing traditional music for many years, we all got into it through things such as the Feisan movement and through traditional music groups in school. We are very lucky in the Highlands of Scotland that we are so immersed in traditional melodies and culture.

The thing that struck me the most about your band is the way you combine traditional folk music with contemporary genres such as funk – what makes your music so unique, and what kinds of things is the band influenced by?
I think what may potentially make our music a bit different is the fact the we self write all our melodies and we aren’t afraid to try and push the boundaries of where we can take it – I think not being afraid to fail is very important when you’re trying to do something a bit unique. We take influences from a wide range of music, everything from Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

I saw you perform last year in Edinburgh, and you definitely got the crowd moving for a subdued Wednesday night! Is this what usually happens at an Elephant Sessions gig?
Yeah, we usually try and noise the crowd up a bit. Basically, whether its an 11am or an 11pm festival slot we will try and give it all we have and hopefully we get everyone dancing

What’s been your standout gig so far?
I think our highlight so far has probably been opening up for the Peatbog Faeries at The 02 Academy in Newcastle. They have been a band we have all looked up to from early on in our musical lives and it was an honour to get the chance to do that.

I’m a complete newbie to traditional folk music – can you explain to me what it’s called when a song suddenly changes halfway through? Is this a round? Set? Jig? Help!
Erm, the best way to maybe explain this is usually a ‘set’ comprises of more than one tune. We try and arrange the tunes so there is a tempo change, it can be fast or slow depending on where we are trying to take the listener. A classic traditional music change would be something like a Strathspey into a reel, effectively this doubles the beat. The difference between a jig and a reel is, in a jig the notes are grouped in 3 and in a reel notes are grouped in 4. We hope this makes a little bit of sense.

The Elephant Sessions

You’ve just finished a successful Kickstarter campaign for the funding of your debut album – how did it go?
Kickstarter is a company that allows you to set up a page where the public can donate money to help fund a project. We plan to record our debut album with the money we raise from it, we are very excited!

Comparing the music that you’re currently performing with the music available on your EP, do you think it’s different at all? Where do you hope to take the band?
I think we ‘grew up’ a bit from what we were playing on the EP to what we are playing now, we have become more confident in our ideas and we think we are writing better material. We hope!

What’s the most exciting thing happening in Scottish folk at the moment?
We all really love Adam Holmes’ debut album ‘Heirs and Graces’. He is writing some beautiful songs and he has an amazing band. Definitely worth checking out.

Finally, what are your plans for 2014?
To release our album and hopefully do some festivals in the summer and tour Britain in October.

You can hear more by the Elephant Sessions at www.elephantsessions.com or check them out on Facebook.

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Just as the descendents of Scottish emigrants can be found in every corner of the globe, so too can their language. Scottish Gaelic is the focus of a new musical project celebrating the languages spread throughout the world, highlighting the importance of indigenous language to the concept of home and belonging. Now the team behind the idea are after your help to finish the project.

Struileag (Shore to Shore) is an ambitious musical project now two years in the making headed by well-known Scottish composer Jim Sutherland. A team of 50 of Scotland’s most celebrated musicians, singers, writers, composers and dancers are currently collaborating to produce a show to coincide with the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the 2014 Year of the Homecoming. Struileag will then culminate in an international touring show which will form a significant highlight of Scotland’s Homecoming year.

A Kickstarter campaign is currently underway to raise funds for a recording of an album of songs from the show. 20 critically-acclaimed Gaelic poets are currently busy writing new material to be recorded for the project. Composer Jim Sutherland has been commissioned to create 75 minutes of contemporary music score in response to the commissioned poetry and text produced. Funds raised will go towards studio and equipment hire, artist accommodation, travel costs and catering.

Drawing on the rich histories and tradition of Scottish Gaelic, the writing will provide a new interpretation of what it means to be part of the Gaelic diaspora. Some pieces will be delivered as spoken word, underscored by music and others will be developed into original song. Mr. Sutherland said he’s proud to be connected to such pioneering people: “It is amazing where we find people and I love to hear their stories… The poetry and text that we have been receiving from a team of 20 writers is inspiring and I am really enjoying the process of turning it into a show that can be relevant and exciting.”

Headed by author Kevin MacNeil, this team of writers includes renowned poets and songwriters such as Aonghas Dubh MacNeacail and Anna Frater, to the exciting emerging talents of Babs NicGriogair and Mona NicLeòid. Their work will cover a broad spectrum, from the avant-garde to the more traditional luminaries, emerging writers and traditional Gaelic singers. One commissioned piece takes the form of a secular psalm to the sea. Another piece has been commissioned as a rap, focusing on the abandonment of culture and heritage, and those who have been deceived in search of a promised better life.

Mr Sutherland said he has had a huge involvement with Gaelic music throughout his career: “I have worked with Gaelic musicians and singers most of my working life in various guises and figured out it was time to put something back. I’m a Highlander myself. but I’m actually from Thurso on the North sea coast which isn’t really a very Gaelic area these days. The Gaels have traveled the world and the spread of their descendants is amazing. They have done everything from becoming slaves to masters of industry. 2014 is a year of homecoming in Scotland and I thought that this would be a great time to celebrate this amazing spread of people that we call the Gaelic diaspora.”

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Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs gets ready to dance. Photo: Rob McDougall

People from across the world have been invited to join in a global ceilidh held over 24 hours next summer, as part of Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games celebrations.

The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS), which has been commissioned by Get Scotland Dancing to create the Commonwealth Ceilidh, will work with dance organisations in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen to create new ‘fusion’ dances which will be performed along with existing dances in a worldwide event on Saturday 21 June 2014.

The Commonwealth Ceilidh will begin with events in New Zealand at 7.30pm local time; the next events will begin two hours later in Australia, then in Japan and onwards, with the dancing beginning at 7.30pm in Scotland, 12 hours after the Ceilidh started.

Along with Commonwealth Ceilidhs in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh it is hoped that Commonwealth Ceilidhs will take place in hundreds of locations across Scotland and the UK. The Commonwealth Ceilidh then continues over to the Americas and organisers are aiming for the final event to take place in Hawaii 24 hours after the first ceilidh call was made.

Each Commonwealth Ceilidh will be unique to its location, with an interval in every event giving the chance for groups to showcase their national or local dance style. Organisers are especially interested at present in hearing from people who would like to organise a Ceilidh in their own community.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said:

“The Commonwealth Ceilidh is set to be the biggest celebration of Scottish Country Dancing the world has ever seen – It will be a fantastic way to celebrate, share and showcase our culture during 2014.

“As well as being celebrated throughout the Commonwealth, participants in Scotland will get the opportunity to go to a taster class in their community in the weeks following the Ceilidh. The fact is – Scottish Country Dancing is fun, social and good for our health. I expect that from John O’Groats to Jedburgh – Achiltibuie to Auchmithie – many participants across Scotland will keep dancing through the rest of 2014 and into the years beyond.”

Eileen Gallagher, Independent Director on the Glasgow 2014 Board and Chair of the Ceremonies, Culture and Queen’s Baton Relay Committee, said:

“The Commonwealth Ceilidh will be a vibrant celebration of Scottish culture which everyone can get involved in no matter where they are across the world. The chance to learn the three specially created new dances as part of the Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme will make the Commonwealth Ceilidh a unique and exciting opportunity for so many people who love Scottish country dancing.”

Event planning information will be available in January 2014 and the programme of dances, music and training resources will be available in March 2014. You can register your interest at the Get Scotland Dancing website.

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Bilingual Scottish Road Sign

One of the experiences that stood out the most on my Highland adventure a few months back was the amount of Scottish Gaelic I encountered. From road and railway station signs, to the greeting displayed on the entrance to McDonalds in Inverness, this was my first encounter with Scotland’s oldest surviving spoken language. It’s something you don’t really come across in Edinburgh, either because the language is spoken by less than 2% of the Scottish population, or because Lowland Scots has been the traditional form of speech in the south.

Sadly Scottish Gaelic has been in steady decline for quite some time. 100 years ago the amount of bilingual Scots numbered 183,998. At the time of the last census in 2001, only 58,652 people were registered as bilingual in Gaelic. Nevertheless, the language is in the midst of a government supported revival. BBC’s Gaelic television station Alba reportedly gets on average 530,000 viewers per week, and Edinburgh’s Gaelic primary school is currently at full capacity, prompting a relocation to a larger campus later in the year.

Apart from place names, I had never spoken a word of Gaelic in my life until last Friday when I attended a Gaelic harmony singing workshop. Held at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, I arrived a little early and sat trying to figure out how to pronounce the lyrics on the handout I’d received. I have never encountered a language quite like it before – the words are pronounced entirely differently to how you would expect them to sound. This makes reading Gaelic when beginning to learn a little bit perplexing. I found it much easier to watch and listen to how it looks and sounds, mimicking rather than trying to read.

The workshop was lead by well-known Gaelic singer Gillie Mackenzie. Gillie grew up in Lewis but now lives in the Lothians, and has been singing ever since she can remember. Family ceilidhs instilled an early understanding of vocal harmony and she fondly told us how her and her sisters would sing and harmonise together in Gaelic while doing the dishes at home. Gillie currently teaches Gaelic song and conducts the Gaelic choir at Bunsgoil Crois na Cìse (the Gaelic medium unit at Edinburgh’s Tollcross Primary School), and recently began a Gaelic choir at James Gillespie’s High School. She released her first solo album entitled Griais in 2012 and is currently touring with her band.

We began by singing two traditional songs (Tobair Tobair Siolaidh and ‘S Toigh Leam Fhin Buntat ‘s ìm); first as a group, then combined with different vocal harmonies, and finally in round. It sounded absolutely glorious and I wondered if the tourists just outside the window walking up and down the high street could hear us singing in ancient Scottish tongue. The first few times we went through the song I felt completely lost with the language, but as we repeated the song my mouth was slowly becoming accustomed to this new way of speaking. We then learnt a beautiful song called Gleanna Gollaidh by Robert Donn (1714-78). Donn was a well-known bard hailing from Sutherland (Mackay country), with this particular song praising a glen in his district:

Gleann-a-Gallaidh, Gleann-a-Gallaidh, (Glen Gollaidh, Glen Gollaidh)
Gleann-a-Gallaidh nan craobh, (Glen Gollaidh of our trees)
Cò a chì e nach mol e, (Who can see it without praising it?)
Gleann-a-Gallaidh nan craobh. (Glen Gollaidh of our trees)

Ri faicinn crìoch àrdain (Seeing the abutment of its elevation)
Ga mo bhreugadh gu taobh, (Drew me aside)
‘S ann a smuainich mi fanadh (Indeed I thought of staying in)
An Gleann-a-Gallaidh nan craobh. (Glen Gollaidh of the trees)

Chan àill leam bhur n-airgead (I don’t desire your money)
‘S ri bhur n-arm cha bhi mi, (And I’ll never join your army)
Cha diùlt mi bhur drama (I won’t refuse your dram)
Ach ri tuilleadh cha bhì. (But I’ll do no more than that)

Ged a gheibhinn gu m’ àilgheas (Though I might get to my desire)
Ceann-t-sàile MhicAoidh, (Mackay’s Kintail)
‘S mòr a b’ annsa leam fanadh (More I fancy staying)
An Gleann-a-Gallaidh nan craobh. (In Glen Gollaidh of the trees)

Fonn diasach, ‘s mòr a b’ fhiach e (Bountiful land, much of its value)
Gu fiadhach ‘s gu nì, (For stalking and cattle)
Aite sìobhalt ri doineann (An agreeable place in time of storm)
Is nach criothnaich a’ ghaoth. (In which the wind will not shudder).

Coincidentally, Donn was writing poetry around the same time as the 1745 Jacobite Rising. An ardent Jacobite supporter, Dunn upset the Hanoverian chief of Clan Mackay by writing this poem about the rising:

Now, young Charles Stewart

Every clan places its hope in you

That sought to crown you

And set the country alight;

They’re like hidden snakes

Which cast their skins last year

But are making ready their fangs
To arise on the day of your coming

Waulking in Iochdar, South Uist, June 1970

We finished the workshop with an Isle of Lewis waulking song called Bodachan Cha Phòs mi. These songs were traditionally sung by women waulking cloth and were an institution in female Gaelic society. This practice involved a group of women beating newly woven tweed rhythmically against a table or similar surface to soften it. As the singers worked the cloth, they gradually shifted it to the left so as to work it thoroughly. Typically one person would sing the verse, while the others joined in the chorus. A night at a waulking was a tremendous social outlet for women. The songs have a strong element of gossip in them, of exchanging secrets, of comments on men, good and bad. Although some songs were light-hearted and trivial, many were intimate, frank, intensely vivid, and expressive statements of women’s experiences.

A week since the workshop, I’m suprised at how well I have remembered the melody and the language I learnt. I have quite often found myself humming the songs, especially the beautiful Gleanna Gollaidh. Sadly the only statistics I can find online regarding Scotland’s Gaelic speakers date from 2001, but I would love to know if efforts since have increased the number of speakers of this fascinating language.

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You can listen to Gleanna Golaidh by visiting the BBC’s Year of Song website here, and they also have a great ‘teach yourself Gaelic’ website for absolute beginners called Beag air Bheag.

Another great resource for Scottish oral recordings is Tobar an Dualchais where you can hear many Gaelic recordings.

The post Òrain Gàidhlig – Scottish Gaelic Song appeared first on ScotClans | Scottish Clans.

Loch Lomond by DJ Sonny

In the little community of Marchmont in Edinburgh, one of the interesting characters you’ll see about the streets is Sonny Fascia, otherwise known as DJ Sonny. I first met Sonny at the cosy pub in the heart of the area The Earl of Marchmont, where he introduced me to his unique brand of Scottish turntablism and hip-hop.

Upon further research into Sonny’s repertoire I discovered his version of the traditional Scottish tune Loch Lomond, which samples American jazz artist Maxine Sullivan’s 1955 recording. The song became a career defining hit for Maxine, and coincidentally was the first and last song she recorded over her 40 year career. Sonny’s version is a distinctly more 21st century affair – mixing jazz, beats and scratch to form an upbeat and contemporary version of the veteran Scottish classic.

Loch Lomond is one of those perennial tunes that has had the ability to stay popular over hundreds of years, through either its infectious melody or the surprisingly dark historical context behind the song. Unfortunately nothing concrete is known about Lomond’s original composer, however the tune’s conception can be traced to sometime between the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 and the song’s earliest printed publication in 1841. In John Purser’s monumental 1992 work Scotland’s Music, Purser states that the song is usually attributed to a languishing Jacobite prisoner sentenced to death in a prison at Carlisle around the time of the Rebellion.

Early publication, circa 1880

According to legend, the Government soldiers were rather fickle in the way they decided the fate of the Jacobite prisoners. Some were picked at random to be hung, while others were simply released and told to walk home back to Scotland. The dominant theme of the song is said to refer to the ancient Celtic belief that if you die away from your home country, then your spirit returns home by an underground route called ‘the low road’. However the lack of a definitive connection with the songwriter lends the song open for a multitude of interpretations – with others believing the song was sung by the lover of a captured Jacobite soldier set to be executed in London following a show trial. The heads of the executed soldiers were then set upon pikes and exhibited in all of the towns between London and Edinburgh in a procession along the ‘high road’ (the most important road), while the relatives of the soldiers walked back along the ‘low road’ (the ordinary road traveled by peasants and commoners). In another version dated around 1880, the song’s lyrics have been altered to become a lament between Jacobite heroine Flora MacDonald and Bonnie Prince Charlie (see image).

Refrain:

O ye’ll tak’ the high road and I’ll tak’ the low road,

An’ I’ll be in Scotland afore ye;

But me and my true love will never meet again

On the bonnie, bonnie banks O’ Loch Lomond.

Verse 1:

By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes,

Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond.

Where me and my true love were ever wont to gae

On the bonnie, bonnie banks O’ Loch Lomond.

Verse 2:

‘Twas there that we parted in yon shady glen,

On the steep, steep side O’ Ben Lomon’,

Where in purple hue the Hieland hills we view,

An’ the moon comin’ out in the gloamin’

Sonny’s version of Lomond came about after a fruitless search on the net for hip-hop with a Scottish flavour. He made the song over two days and released it earlier this year online. A regular DJ at clubs around Edinburgh, Sonny produces music through his record label Burgh Records and forms half of the Scottish hip-hop group Perfect Practice. After DJing his way around the world, Sonny returned to Scotland and began producing his own hip-hop gaining him an international following.

The song has been appropriated by artists in many different mediums over the years including Bill Haley & His Comets, Mark Knopfler, Rod Stewart, Runrig and AC/DC. The tune is featured in a song sung by Scottish Terrier Jock in the Disney film Lady and The Tramp, and Scottish poet and folklorist Andrew Lang wrote a poem based on the song in 1876:

There’s an ending o’ the dance, and fair Morag’s safe in France,
And the Clans they hae paid the lawing,
And the wuddy has her ain, and we twa are left alane,
Free o’ Carlisle gaol in the dawing.

(Morag meaning great one in Gaelic, referring to Bonnie Prince Charlie; and wuddy meaning a hangman’s noose).

Whatever the truth of the tune’s origins, the famous song has timeless appeal proved by it’s constant reincarnation in so many endearing ways. Sonny’s 2013 version provides a contemporary connection to Scotland’s history, using an iconic melody bound with a very 21st century way of making music.

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You can download Loch Lomond by DJ Sonny by clicking here, and can check out his other tunes via his Bandcamp page.

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Robert Aitken’s new soundtrack ‘Kildonan’

A new soundtrack by a Scottish composer has been influenced by the infamous Highland Clearances of the 18th and 19th Centuries. Kildonan, the latest work by Sutherland based composer Robert Aitken, draws on traditional, contemporary and classical styles to create an album that evokes the forced eviction of people from their lands.

During the industrial revolution, landowners in Scotland sought to make more capital by shipping people out and making way for shooting estates and large industrialised deer and sheep farms. Tracks on the soundtrack include Last Footsteps of Home which tells the story of a young girl on her way to an emigrant ship that lies in wait, and Red River Rant, a tribute to a piper on board an emigrant ship bound for Canada.

Aitken, who was born and brought up in Brora in Sutherland, said: “My aim is to drop the listener into a particular point in time and experience the life-story of a situation. I want the music to be felt rather than just heard. With Kildonan it was also important to examine the big themes of life, then and now – to connect the past with our present in what I do not see as time immemorial, but the ever moving cycle of life as time orbital.”

The soundtrack has received praise from Emmy-winning documentary producer Guy Perotta who called Kildonan a breath of fresh air. “Kildonan is very different from what is found in some works involving Scottish history, which sometimes resorts to what seems like a stereotypical take on what the music ought to sound like.”

Songs from the soundtrack feature on an app released in 2012 to mark the 200th anniversary of clearances in the Strath of Kildonan. Musuems Without Walls: Scotland’s Clearances Trail App uses GPS navigation, archival information and new media to guide users around important clearance sites, bringing the area’s history alive.

Several of the evicted Kildonan families sailed to Hudson Bay, in north east Canada, where they were forced to build their own shelters to protect themselves against severe winter conditions. The following spring, they set off on foot for the Red River Settlement around Lake Winnipeg in Canada where Scottish aristocrat, the Earl of Selkirk, had promised them land. Many made the 100 mile (161km) journey in handmade snowshoes.

Among the travelers was Catherine McPherson, who nursed the sick after typhoid broke out aboard ship on the journey from Scotland to Canada. She also survived a severe flood that carried away her log-built home. Her story is told in the app.

The soundtrack is available for purchase on Spotify, iTunes and Amazon.

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After the ubiquitous ‘Happy Birthday’, the great New Year anthem Auld Lang Syne is the next most sung song on earth; bellowed out from graduations in Thailand to weddings across the globe. The funny thing is that many of the jovial partakers have no idea about the lyrics themselves.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

And never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

and Auld Lang Syne.

So, what on earth is an ‘auld lang syne’ anyway? Well, in the old Scots vernacular it simply means ‘long since hence’; and in the spirit of the song, essentially the days of long ago. This pithy three word phrase encapsulates beautifully the sense of remembering the great days of the past, and allows us a chance to wistfully reminisce with rose-tinted spectacles the fun days of our youth. It is about friendship, old friendships that as the years pass drift, perhaps even sour; but now in the twilight we can look back and never forget those long summer days long ago. This is what Burns was driving at, and we as we shed the old year for the new should think on this and remember the good stuff and the importance of love and friendship.

The song was first published by Burns in 1788, and became hugely popular in Scotland. As Scots emigrated around the world they took it with them to create a global phenomenon. However, Burns was not the first to use the phrase ‘auld lang syne’ in a song, both Ayton and Ramsay had earlier, and the bard himself admitted that he had simply ‘re-written’ an old folk song. The tune wasn’t his either, nor the one he planned to use, but was added later. Whatever the origins, I’m sure that master playboy Burns would appreciate the gusto with which his lyrics are still appreciated by millions across the world.

Not all of Scotland’s songs are quite so cheery; over half of the ones I can think of tend to be about battles and cruel fate, usually at the hands of the English. Perhaps it is because Scotland was dealt the wildest of cards, and mixed with our natural Celtic melancholy we have so many lilting laments and heartfelt songs. Top of that list, must surely be the ‘Flowers of the Forest’.

I’ve heard the lilting, at the yowe-milking

Lassies a-lilting before the dawn of day

But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning

“the flowers of the forest are all wede away”

Written by Jean Elliot and again based on an earlier folk song, this mournful, yet intoxicating ballad expresses the anguish and sheer loss felt by those left at home when men go to war and don’t come back. It was written in the aftermath of Scotland’s darkest day on the bloody Field of Flodden: a scene of utter carnage and the loss of a national soul still yet to be recovered fully.

In early 1513 King Henry VIII of England invaded France as part of the Catholic League, and using Calais as his base he won a string of spectacular victories. As part of a more protracted conflict the Pope had become concerned at the growing power of Louis XII of France, and constructed an alliance including England to combat this threat. Scotland was allied to the French and the king, James VI, was the embodiment of the Renaissance and chivalrous to his core. He decided the only honourable course was to aid his ally and invade England in order to distract Henry and buy a little breathing space for Louis. He assembled an army of over 30,000 – the largest ever commanded by a Scottish king, and crossed the border at the end of August 1513.

King James IV

Henry had left the defence of England in the hands of his wife, Catherine of Aragon and the Earl of Norfolk. They dispatched a much smaller army north to meet the Scottish invasion. After a short stand-off the two armies clashed on the 9^th of September at Flodden, and while the Scots held the advantage the geography conspired against them and they were annihilated. The king was killed and hacked to pieces, and along with him Scotland would lose, 12 Earls, 13 Barons, the Archbishop of St Andrews and nearly 10,000 men. It was said not one noble family was spared, and every village in Scotland mourned a loss. The youth of the nation was torn apart, its nobility wrecked: these were the flowers of the forest, and now they were all wede (gone) away, leaving behind only empty fields, moaning and pain.

Today, the lament is usually heard played as a pipe tune at funerals or memorial services; sung only at the most heartfelt of times: but, played globally. It has an incredible weightiness about it; one that draws you back to that time and every war since, and the senseless misery of it all.

But, for every Flodden there is a Bannockburn – where the gods of fortune smile down on Scotland for once and deliver victory; oh, and how we celebrate. The Scots are a funny people, a concoction of doom and gloom and a rich, vibrant joie de vivre, and our music mirrors this. Flodden was a hammer blow to the Scottish psyche, and from then on we’ve had this inferiority complex, a chip on our shoulder often aimed south of the border. It’s hard to shake, but as a people our contribution to the world has been immense, and the Scots have much to crow about. Perhaps we are at last climbing out of the pit of self-indulgent grief. We do live in a Scotland transformed in the last 50 years, and although it looks back 700 years to Bruce and Wallace the song most played as a ‘National Anthem’ for Scotland reflects the re-birth in our own national identity.

Oh, flower of Scotland,

when will we see your likes again?

That fought and died for

Your wee bit hill and glen.

Drawing from the emotions of the lost flowers, Roy Williamson’s song, written in 1965, plays upon the fall then rise of a country. It implores us to look back to our ancestors and feel their sense of national pride and deliver forth a new vibrant and healthy Scotland. Flower of Scotland is a simple tune, with an even simpler message – rise up and be a nation again, the perfect ingredient for a national anthem: one that lauds the country, asks more from her people and can be sung by 60,000 on the slopes of Hampden Park. I don’t think you need to be a Scottish Nationalist or a believer in independence to feel national empowerment with this song.

Scottish Pride at Hampden Park

Each of these songs has it’s time and place; each reflects part of the emotional journey it means to be Scottish. Robert Louis Stevenson once said that the Scots carry the past around with them in a way that few others could understand; and perhaps, like the Welsh and the Irish, with our Celtic fire burning brightly that emotion is best expressed in song and music.

This article was written by David McNicoll, who runs Vacation Scotland – a travel company specialising in tours and vacation packages to Scotland. For more info – www.vacationscotland.biz

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