Bob, the notes on Tony Cuffe's CD are rather terse:

A song developed by Tony from the poem first published by Alexander Balfour (1767-1829) of Monikie, Perthshire in 1820. Brig o’ Dye, Cairn o’ Mount, Clochnaben (now Clachnaben) and the River Dee are all in rural Aberdeenshire.