I still haven't tracked down a recording by Arhie, but he's been singing it for about 30 years, so he must have recorded it. Probably the confusion is that it's not called Red Is The Rose. Anyway, it is sung to the tune of Loch Lomond,which is a Jacobite song in which the executed rebel tells his loved one that he'll take the low road (spiritual road ?) and be home in Scotland before they will. Micheal's version of the song, which I had the pleasure of hearing first hand in concert in Thurso, Scotland, 2002, is probably as true to the original as you can get, Runrig's is a bloody travesty....but hey! That's Rock for you!