In 1689 at the Pass of Killiecrankie, a Jacobite army supporting James VII met an army that supported the new government. The brave Jacobite leader, the Marquis of Dundee (Bonny Dundee), won the battle but lost his life.

This satiric account of the fight pours scorn on the leaders of the government forces. A song to this tune was written soon after the battle, but this lyric did not appear till 1790.

Whaur hae ye been sae braw, lad?
Whaur hae ye been sae brankie-o?
Whaur hae ye been sae braw lad?
Cam' ye by Killiecrankie-o?

An' ye had been whaur I hae been,
Ye wadna been sae cantie-o;
An' ye had seen what I hae seen
On the braes o' Killiecrankie-o.

I fought at land, I fought at sea,
At hame I fought my auntie-o,
But I met the devil and Dundee
On the braes o' Killiecrankie-o.

The bauld Pitcur fell in a furr,
And Clavers gat a clankie-o,
Or I had fed an Athol gled
On the braes o' Killiecrankie-o.

O fie, Mackay, what gart ye lie
I' the bush ayont the brankie-o?
Ye'd better kiss'd King Willie's loof,
Than come to Killiecrankie-o.

Final chorus
It's nae shame, it's nae shame,
It's nae shame to shank ye-o;
There's sour slaes on Athol braes,
And de'ils at Killiecrankie-o.

The Braes of Killiecrankie, performed by the Pipes and Drums of the 1st Battalion of the Black Watch From The Pipes and Drums 1st Battalion The Black Watch - The Ladies From Hell (CD) CDTRAX162 (September 1998), Greentrax Recordings