Fabulous air and lyrics,which I've sung for many years now.I still feel very proud and enriched by bragging that I first heard Barbara Dickson singing this very song (with guitar)in our local Malvern folk club in either late '72 or early '73 and should still have the original taped recording somewhere in the house.This was,of course,when she were a 'proper folkie' (though she didn't have a beard !).She used lots of excellent material back then (e.g. Archie Fisher's 'Shipyard Apprentice')and was clearly destined.

Just wondering - if Jim gets to read this - about the air for 3rd verse.Difficult to explain (since,though I can sing,I'm no musician)-but BD sang a slightly different air to the first two lines of that verse (than to any of the other verses) which,to fit the air/music scanned/sang as
Where was our proud Highland mettle o' men,
All once so famed in battle
etc (back to the same tune as other verses)

The tune change was also included in part of the original pipe tune.And the change just broke up the song to give it an extra 'lift' and catch the listener's attention even more.Has Jim or anybody else heard it sung in that sort of manner ? Or is that commonplace ?
Thanks for any help - and thanks to Jim for writing it in the first place.Of course,if Barbara Dickson IS reading this,she's quite welcome to comment !!