Whilst researching this song for the digitisation project of the School of Scottish Studies material, I have come across some key elements to the places and people in the story that may not have been mentioned thus far, certainly doesn't seem so in this thread. Forgive me if I am repeating what's already known elsewhere.

The "Carrie side" given by Child from Maidment, is, as Child suggests himself, possibly Carvie side. The Water of Carvie is a stream which joins the River Don southwest of Strathdon, near Candacraig.

The maid of Scalletter et al, refers to Skellater, the name of a farmstead and house of the Jacobite Forbes' of Skellater, built in 1727, a little further west along the Don. It's just possible that these Forbeses were related somehow to the Forbeses of Edom o Gordon.

Carvie and Skellater are difficult to find on modern maps now.

Am still working on the Breadalbane/Belbordlane/John Forsyth references!