It's seems there are people who believe that all traditional scottish songs must be written by Robert Burns. So the song Johnnie Cope in the database is also attributed to him. But it's not a Burns song at all, as a matter of fact it was written before Burns was born in 1759. The song was from 1745, so could never have been written by Burns.

Instead Adam Skirving (b. 1719 - d. 1803) is the actual writer. Skirving was a witness to the Battle of Prestonpans (1745), the very battle this song is about! So apart from a poem, you might even say it's a piece of journalism!