Homecoming and Travelling

Caledonia

Another of the candidates for a Scottish national anthem. The music and lyrics are by Dougie MacLean. The song is published by Limetree Arts and Music.I don't know if you can see the changes that have come over meIn these last few days I've been … more »
Rolling Home to Caledonia

There are different versions of this song and it is perhaps better known as 'Rolling Home to Dear Old England'.Stan Hugill, in 'Shanties from the Seven Seas' (1961), calls it 'the most famous homeward-bound song of them all'. … more »
Going Home to Glasgow

Coming home - by train, by rail, by plane - the feeling of pleasure is the same.Going Home to Glasgow is performed by P6 from St Timothy’s Primary School, Glasgow. They have made a CD of this song and 'The Children of the City of … more »
Journey Back to Arran

A song written by Gill Bowman with P4-P7 of Pirnmill Pimary School on Arran. Gill says that she was talking with the class about the beautiful red hills of Arran on the String Road in the morning sun.'We started to think about other things that are … more »
The Gypsy Laddies

This is Jeannie Robertson’s wonderful version of a ballad that is sung in many countries, with different words and tunes.The gypsies cast a spell over the lady of the castle and she goes off with them, but they are caught and hanged.Although this … more »
The Braes O Balquidder

A lyric gem made by Paisley weaver-poet Robert Tannahill 200 years ago. This version comes from the singing of poet and playwright Andrew Tannahill, a descendent of the maker.Songs keep going back and forward between Ireland and Scotland. Many people … more »
Auld Lang Syne

The best known Scottish song, sung all around the world at Hogmanay. Robert Burns often amended and improved old songs which he collected for publication, and ‘Auld Lang Syne’ is an example of this. Although the song is always credited … more »
Yellow on the Broom

A beautiful and much-loved song about Scots gypsy-travellers knowing that it is time to stop living in their winter house and to go out and travel the roads.The signal is that the yellow blossoms have come out on the broom bush that grows by roadsides. … more »
Awa Wi Canada's Muddy Creeks

This extract from Billy Kay’s book 'The Scottish World' tells us about the maker of the song.'In the 1820s, Sandy Glendinning, shepherd in Eskdalemuir, was wont to meet Walter Elliot, shepherd in Ettrick, at the Steps of Glendearg on … more »
Norlan' Wind (The Wild Geese)

This sad poem of longing for home, by Angus poet Violet Jacob, was set to music and popularised by Angus singer and songmaker Jim Reid. Violet Jacob called her poem 'The Wild Geese' and used the following spelling.Oh tell me what was on your … more »
All Jock Tamson's Bairns are Coming Home

Often known as simply 'Coming Home', this is a moving Scots welcome for the exiled and homeless refugees who ask us for shelter and help. The recorded version on this page is presented by the song's maker, Steven Clark.Put a light in the … more »
Farewell to Nova Scotia

The tune is 'Good Night and Joy Be With Ye' which first appears in recorded history as early as 1625. The lyrics are a Canadian adaptation of the poem, 'The Soldier's Adieu', which dates from 1808 and was written by Scotland's … more »
Good Night and Joy

The tune is 'Good Night and Joy Be With Ye' which first appears in recorded history as early as 1625. The lyrics are an adaptation of the poem 'The Soldier's Adieu' which dates from 1808, and was written by Scotland's Robert Tannahill.The … more »
My Ain Countrie

A sad late Jacobite song of exile.The song was written by Allan Cunningham, an author and poet in the manner of Robert Burns, who was born at Keir, near Dalswinton, Dumfriesshire. Cunningham’s father had been a neighbour of Robert Burns at … more »
Cock O the North

‘The Cock O' the North’ is very old tune, first written down over 300 years ago, when it was called ‘Jumping Joan’.As a pipe tune it is the regimental march of the Gordon Highlanders, because the Duke of Gordon was so powerful … more »
My Last Farewell to Stirling

A bothy ballad about a bitter leave taking. A man caught poaching the lord's hare and pheasant has been caught and sentenced to 20 years' transportation to Australia.The recording, accessible below, is sung by Charlie Murray. Charlie … more »
Rhynie

This bothy ballad complains about the hard work and poor conditions on a farm on higher land than the young worker is used to. It is a close relative of the song ‘The Barnyards of Delgaty’.At Rhynie I sheared my first hairst,Near tae the … more »
The Bonnie Ship the Diamond

Nearly 200 years ago, the Scottish whaling ship the Diamond is leaving port, heading on the dangerous journey through the pack ice to the Davis Strait between Greenland and Canada.The Diamond is a ship, ma lads, for the Davis Strait she's bound,And … more »
The Day We Went to Rothesay O

This song is about a holiday trip on a steamer, down the River Clyde to the island of Bute. It is full of jokes and references to how people lived and had fun over 100 years ago.Wan Hogmanay at the Glasgow Fair, there was me masel and several mair,We … more »
The Rolling Hills of the Borders

A song by Matt McGinn in praise of the beautiful countryside of the Scottish Borders.McGinn, Sir Walter Scott and many others have praised the Borders' hills and dales.In his lyric Matt reminds us that he is from Glasgow, and that he has performed … more »
Within a Mile of Edinburgh Town

A song needs more than a Scottish-sounding title to be part of traditional Scottish music.Robert Chambers says this song 'is a noted example of those composed by English wits in imitation of the Scots Manner, and which were, with little discrimination, … more »
The Rovin Ploughboy

When the song was collected by Hamish Henderson from John MacDonald, who was a mole and rat-catcher by profession and lived in Pitgaveny, Elgin, Mr MacDonald sang an additional verse.This is quite a puzzling bothy ballad.The girl seems to want … more »