Burns and his Highland Mary
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1960.168.A13
Original Tape ID
Summary
The song tells of the parting of Robert Burns and his lover, Highland Mary.
Item Notes
2 verses of 8 lines. Tune 'Flowers o the Forest'.
Robert Burns (1759-1796) met Mary Campbell (1763-1786) in 1786, and they pursued a brief, but intense love affair. She died shortly afterwards at Greenock.
See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 6, pp. 488-492
National Library of Scotland, RB.m.143(030)
'Bothy Songs & Ballads' (J. Ord, 1930) pp. 354-355
'Vagabond Songs & Ballads' vol. 1 (R. Ford, 1899) pp. 124-126
'Till Doomsday in the Afternoon' (E. MacColl & P. Seeger, 1986) pp. 193-195
'Folk-Song of the North-East' (G. Greig, K. Goldstein & A. Argo, 1963 reprint) art. LXXVI
Murray Collection (Broadsides), Glasgow University Library, mu23-y1:009, mu23-y1:026, mu23-y4:024
Item Subject/Person
Burns, Robert; Campbell, Mary [Highland Mary]
Recording Location
County - Aberdeenshire
Parish - Fraserburgh
Item Location
County - Ayrshire
Language
Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good