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The Battle o Harlaw

Date 1956
Track ID 3140
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1956.45.A20

Original Tape ID

SA1956.045

Summary

Recited fragments of the ballad, 'The Battle o Harlaw':

As I cam doon by Durisdeer
An ower by Netherha'
There wis fifty thoosan Hielanmen
A' mairchin tae Harlaw.

The Hielanmen wi their lang swords
They laid on us fu sair
An they drave back oor merry men
Three acres breadth and mair.

Item Notes

2 verses of 4 lines. The full song recounts the events of the Battle of Harlaw from the perspective of the defenders of land invaded by a Highland army under MacDonald. The invaders are eventually defeated after losing heart when two noble brothers kill MacDonald.

The Battle of Harlaw (Cath Gairbheach in Gaelic) took place near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire on 24th July 1411 between Donald MacDonald of Islay, Lord of the Isles and an army commanded by Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar.

Despite the biased and historically inaccurate view of this Scots song (e.g. MacDonald was not in actual fact killed at the battle), and some Gaelic songs which place the outcome more in MacDonald's favour, the battle is generally considered to have been a 'draw', in view of the severe casualties on both sides. It is remembered as a particularly bloody and savage battle in Scottish history.

The site of the battle lies approximately three kilometres north-west of Inverurie.

See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 1, pp. 302-313, no. 112
'Scottish Ballads' (E. Lyle, 1994) pp. 44-47
'Come Gie's a Sang' (S. Douglas, 1995) pp. 20-21
'Bothy Songs & Ballads' (J. Ord, 1930) pp. 473-475
'The Scottish Ballads' (R. Chambers, 1829) pp. 20-28
'The Scotish [sic] Minstrel' vol. 4 (R. A. Smith, 1821) p. 36
'Ballads of Scotland' vol. 1 (W. E. Aytoun, 1858) pp. 64-78
'Book of Scottish Ballads' (A. Whitelaw, 1845) pp. 138-140
'The Scottish Folksinger' (N. Buchan & P. Hall, 1973) pp. 132-133
'Ancient & Modern Scottish Songs' vol. 1 (D. Herd, 1869, 1973) pp. 37-45
'Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads' (A. Keith & G. Greig, 1925) pp. 101-106
'The Scots Musical Museum' vol. 6 (J. Johnson & R. Burns, 1853 edition) p. 528, no. 512

Item Subject/Person

Donald of Islay, Lord of the Isles [MacDonald, Donald]

Recording Location

County - Banffshire

Parish - Inveravon

Village/Place - Glenlivet

Item Location

County - Aberdeenshire

Parish - Chapel of Garioch

Village/Place - Harlaw

Language

Scots

Genre

Song

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R2861 GD112 C163

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good