According to Greig-Duncan #609 (two tunes, one verse only), the song was written by William Watt (and Ford's text mentioned). Watt's 8 verse text may be seen in Grieg's 'Folk-Song of the Northeast', art. #102. Grieg said on that the tune was an adaption of a pipe strathspey with flatted 7tn [Mixolydian].