Chambers Scots Dictionary (W & R Chambers, Edinburgh - I have the 1977 edition) gives "Chaumer" as "chamber" and cross-refers to "Chalmer" and "Chamber". For the former (Chalmer), it gives : "a room, chamber; an upper room; a bedroom; ... " and goes on to mention a police-court or a magistrate's room, neither of which is relevant here. For the latter (Chamber), it gives : "any upper room; a bedroom; .." and again mentions the police court.

There are related words. "Chalmer-chield" is "a valet or groom of the chambers". A "Chalmerie" is "a small chamber". A "Chalmer o' deis" is "a parlour; the best bedroom".

Also, "Chamer" is defined as "a chamber"

Being one of Chambers' dictionaries, you would think they'd get this is one word they would get right.

The poem appeared in "Modern Folk Ballads" (Studio Vista "Pocket Poets" series, London, 1966) and a number of Scots words are explained. It reads, "chaulmers = rooms". What makes this even more compelling is that the ballads were selected by Charles Causley, who wrote a short introduction to the book. In this introduction, he devotes a paragraph to this particular ballad. Causley writes, "Many versions of 'Farewell to Sicily' still circulate, and in a letter to me the author refers to the one he 'usuually' now sings" and goes on to explain the importance of the word "usually" in the context of ballads evolving over time. At the end of the paragraph, Causley adds in parenthesis : "(I have included, at the author's request, an early version of the 'Sicily' ballad, though again with some small alterations by him.)". I assume that, as Hamish Henderson had such a close involvement in the inclusion of this ballad in the book, he would have been content with the "chaulmers = rooms" note.