Bonnie Hoose o' Airlie

Original Track ID

SA1960.155.B9

Original Tape ID

SA1960.155

Summary

The Earls of Argyll and Airlie fall out and Argyll attacks Airlie House when its lord is away. He asks the Countess to come down and kiss him or he wil destroy her home, but she refuses and tells him he would not have dared to come had her husband been home. Enraged, Argyll attacks and sets fire to the house. Lochiel and Lord Airlie see the smoke and, with King Charles, vow to have revenge on Argyll.

Item Notes

10 verses. Tragic ballad.

The actual incident behind this song took place on 7th July 1640, when the Earl of Argyll, Archibald Campbell (1607-1661), destroyed Airlie Castle, belonging to James Ogilvie (1593-1666), the 1st Earl of Airlie. The two were on opposing sides of the conflict involving the National Covenant. Ogilvy had left with a force of men to aid Charles I, and the anti-royalist Campbell seized the opportunity to attack. Confusion surrounding the 'Charlie' referenced in the song has led to inclusions of verses linking the ballad with Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite conflict of 1745-46, including a last verse in which Cameron of Lochiel (an eminent Jacobite) swears revenge for the crime.

See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 2, pp. 170-175
'Tocher' 21 (1976) pp. 174-175
'Scottish Ballads' (E. Lyle, 1994) pp. 59-60
'Scottish Studies' 14 (1970) pp. 176-178
'Bothy Songs & Ballads' (J. Ord, 1930) p. 470
'Scotland Sings' (E. MacColl, 1953) pp. 18-19
'Come Gie's a Sang' (S. Douglas, 1995) pp. 12-13
'The Scottish Ballads' (R. Chambers, 1829) pp. 92-95
'Book of Scottish Song' (A. Whitelaw, 1845) pp. 545-546
'Ballads of Scotland' vol. 2 (W. E. Aytoun, 1858) pp. 265-268
'Vagabond Songs & Ballads' vol. 2 (R. Ford, 1901) pp. 167-169
'Traditional Ballad Airs' vol. 2 (W. Christie, 1881) pp. 276-277
'Ancient Scottish Ballads' (G. R. Kinloch, 1827) pp. 100-108, 273
'Till Doomsday in the Afternoon' (E. MacColl & P. Seeger, 1986) pp. 175-176
'Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads' (A. Keith & G. Greig, 1925) pp. 123-125
'Andrew Crawfurd's Collection of Ballads & Songs' vol. 1 (E. Lyle, 1975) p. 161
'Travellers' Songs from England and Scotland' (E. MacColl & P. Seeger, 1977) pp. 89-91
'Folk-Song of the North-East' (G. Greig, K. Goldstein & A. Argo, 1963 reprint) art. no. LVIII

Item Subject/Person

Campbell, Archibald (1st Marquess of Argyll); Ogilvie, James (1st Earl of Airlie)

Recording Location

Item Location

Language

Scots

Genre

Song

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R794 GD233 C199

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good