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Bonnie Glenshee

Date August 1954
Track ID 41243
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1954.88.B6

Original Tape ID

SA1954.088

Summary

This is a song between two lovers, which describes the landscape, inhabitants and occasional travellers through Glenshee, including shepherds and soldiers. The man implores the woman to make herself ready to go with him and he will take her to Glenisla at the foot of Glenshee.

Maggie Stewart learned the song when she was fifteen years old, from her good-sister [sister-in-law].

Item Notes

3 verses with chorus after each, plus chorus at start. Also known as 'Busk Busk Bonnie Lassie'. Most commonly associated with the singing of the Stewarts of Blair. Said to be related to PM John MacLellan's First World War pipe tune 'The Bloody Fields of Flanders'.

See:
Ord , pp. 136-137
'Folk-Song of the North-East' (Greig) Art. CVII, CXLI
Greig-Duncan vol 5, pp. 494-498, no. 1053 'Oh No No'

Recording Location

County - Aberdeenshire

Parish - Aberdeen

Village/Place - Aberdeen

Item Location

County - Angus

Parish - Glenisla

Village/Place - Glenisla

Language

Scots

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R832 GD1053

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Fair