> Folk Music > Songs > MacDonald’s Return to Glencoe / The Pride of Glencoe

MacDonald’s Return to Glencoe / The Pride of Glencoe

[ Roud 515 ; Laws N39 ; G/D 5:1044 ; Henry H655 ; Ballad Index LN39 ; Bodleian Roud 515 ; trad.]

Gavin Greig: Folk-Song of the North-East Alan Helsdon: Vaughan Williams in Norfolk Gale Huntington, Lani Herrmann, John Moulden: Sam Henry’s Songs of the People Frank Kidson: Traditional Tunes. Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Travellers’ Songs From England and Scotland John Ord: Bothy Songs and Ballads Willie Scott: Herd Laddie o’ the Glen Elizabeth Stewart: Up Yon Wide and Lonely Glen

Sheila Stewart sang Donald’s Return to Glencoe on the 1968 Topic album The Travelling Stewarts, and in a recording made by Doc Row in Blairgowrie in 1998, on her 2000 Topic CD From the Heart of the Tradition. Carl MacDougall noted on the first album:

A very popular member of the ‘broken token’ family of songs. Gavin Greig includes it in Folk-Song of the North-East, both Robert Ford and John Ord have it in their collections and Frank Kidson gives a fragment of the tune in Traditional Tunes.

Peta Webb sang The Pride of Glencoe in 1973 on her Topic album I Have Wandered in Exile. Reg Hall and A.L. Lloyd noted:

A great favourite throughout the nineteenth century. Such of London, Bebbington of Manchester, Forth of Pocklington, Walker of Durham, Gilbert of Newcastle, all published it as a broadside. Often they have as title: MacDonald’s Return to Glencoe, and they set the action firmly in the period of the Peninsular War. Clearly an educated hand wrote the poem, with its classical reference to Mt Ida (Zeus’s Cretan home). Presumably the song is Scottish in origin, and indeed it was much enjoyed in the farm bothies of the Northeast, but over the last quarter-century, Irish singers have done most to keep it alive. The version sung here corresponds pretty closely to that in a popular songster, Manus O’Connor’s Irish Com-All-Ye’s and Ballads of Ireland published in New York in 1901. The tune is related to a familiar Irish melody for The Lark in the Morning.

Ray Fisher sang The Pride of Glencoe in 1972 on her Trailer album The Bonny Birdy. She noted:

This ‘broken token’ ballad has a Scottish location; was taken from the singing of a remarkable Irish lady, Brigid Tunney, and given to me by Englishman extraordinary, Ashley Hutchings. Thanks also are due to Clive Woolf, formerly assistant librarian at Cecil Sharp House, for invaluable help.

Nic Jones sang Donald the Pride of Glencoe in a BBC Radio 1 John Peel session recorded on 5 June and first broadcast 11 July 1972.

Lizzie Higgins sang MacDonald of Glencoe, in 1975 on her Topic album Up and Awa’ Wi’ the Laverock. Another 1970s recording made by Peter Hall was included in 2006 on her Musical Traditions anthology In Memory of Lizzie Higgins. Rod Stradling noted:

Another seemingly well-known ballad, yet the great majority of Roud’s 112 instances refer to US or Canadian sources; only 26 Scots instances are listed. Nor has it been much recorded here; aside from Lizzie, only the Stewart sisters are listed, and only Sheila’s, on From the Heart of the Tradition is available.

A ‘broken token’ song widely known to Greig and Duncan’s informants a hundred years ago. Peter Hall considered its flowery language suggested an Irish origin, and the constancy of the recorded texts “does suggest wide printed currency, dating perhaps back to the time of the Peninsular War to which the song refers”.

The favourite ballad of Lizzie’s aunt, Elizabeth McDonald—immensely proud of her clan, of whom it was truly said, “There is no joy without Clan Donald”. Brooding Glencoe, the site of the infamous Government ‘Massacre of Glencoe’ of MacDonalds in 1692 (“with a death roll of about forty, perhaps the most famous massacre per fatality in history”) casts no shadow on this idyll of a much later date.

Stanley Robertson sang MacDonald of Glencoe on his 2009 Elphinstone Institute album of family gems and jewels from the Traveller tradition, The College Boy. Stanley Robertson noted:

Ma mither wis a MacDonald so that wis one o her family songs; she felt she wis related tae that folk. I’d be neen surprised if Lizzie [Higgins] learnt it fae ma mither; I ken she learned the Red Roses fae ma mither. She wis aye in the hoose and her an ma sister Charlotte were pals, so I kent Lizzie affa weel as a bairn. She wis a fun lassie to be wi; Lizzie used to teach me a lot o the pop songs [an] she used to aye teach me Mario Lanza songs, Be My Love and aa that. She could read music, Lizzie.

And Thomas A. McKean and Sara Reith noted:

This is a classic (un)broken token song, set in the highly evocative atmosphere of Glencoe in the Highlands, quite different from the tragic Flora and Donald, or, the Massacre of Glencoe (Mu23-yl:082, Murray Collection, and other sources). Once again, Stanley’s emotional engagement comes to the fore. MacDonald of Glencoe was once very popular in the North-East with more than forty versions to be found in the Greig-Duncan collection and several in the Carpenter materials. There are numerous broadside versions and the song has flourished throughout Atlantic Canada, as well. A Cape Breton version, sung by Angus Macisaac, can be found in the MacEdward Leach collection at Memorial University, Newfoundland. Ord includes two more stanzas sung from Flora’s perspective.

Lyrics

Ray Fisher sings The Pride of Glencoe

As I was a-walking one evening of late
Where Flora’s green mantle the fields decorate,
I carelessly wandered, where I do not know,
By the banks of a fountain that lies in Glencoe.

Like she who the pride of Mount Ida had won
There approached a wee lassie as fair as the sun
With ribbons and tartans around her did flow
That once won MacDonald, the pride of Glencoe.

With courage undaunted I to her drew nigh,
While the red rose and lily on her cheeks seemed to vie.
I asked her her name and how far she did go
And she answered me, “Kind, sir, I’m bound for Glencoe.”

I said, “My wee lassie, your enchanting smile
And your comely fine features have my heart beguiled.
If your kind affection on me you’ll bestow
I will bless the happy hour we met in Glencoe.”

“Kind sir,” she did answer, “Your suit I disdain.
I once had a sweetheart, MacDonald by name.
He’s gone to the war about ten years ago,
And a maid I’ll remain till he returns to Glencoe.”

“But perhaps young MacDonald regards not your name
And has placed his affection on some other dame.
Perhaps he’s forgotten, for all that you know,
The bonnie wee lassie he left in Glencoe.”

“My Donald from his promise will never depart,
For love, truth, and honour are found in his heart.
And if I never see him, I single will go,
And I’ll mourn for my Donald, the pride of Glencoe.”

He finding her constant, he pulled out a glove,
Which at parting she gave him as a token of love.
She flew to his arms while the tears down did flow
Saying, “You’re welcome, my Donald, the pride of Glencoe.”

“So cheer up now, young Flora, your sorrows are o’er,
And while life still prevails, we will never part more.
The storms of war at a distance may blow
While in peace and contentment we’ll bide in Glencoe.”

Lizzie Higgins sings MacDonald of Glencoe

As I was a-walking one evening of late
Where Flora’s gay mantles the fields decorate,
I carelessly wandered to I did not know
On the banks of a fountain that lies in Glencoe.

To her whom the prize of Mount Ida I’d won,
There approached me a lassie as bright as the sun.
The ribbons and the tartans around her did flow
That once graced MacDonald, the pride of Glencoe.

With courage undaunted tae her I drew nigh;
The red rose and the lilies on her cheeks seemed to vie.
I asked her her name, and how far she’d to go.
“Young man,” she replied, “I am bound for Glencoe.”

I said, “My dear lassie, your enchanting smile,
An your comely sweet features, my heart is beguiled.
If your kind affections on me you’ll bestow,
Then you’ll aye bless the hour that we met in Glencoe.”

“Young man,” she made answer, “your wit I disdain.
I onced had a sweetheart, young Donald by name.
He went to the wars nearly ten years ago,
And a maid I’ll remain ’til he comes to Glencoe.”

“Perhaps your young Donald regards not your name,
But has placed his affections on some foreign dame?
He may have forgotten, for aucht that ye know,
The bonny wee lassie he left in Glencoe?”

“My Donald’s true valour when tried in the field
Like his proud ancestors disdaining to yield.
The French and the Spaniards he will soon overthrow
And in triumph return to my arms in Glencoe.”

“The prowess of the French, love, is hard to pull down;
They’ve destroyed many heroes of fame and renown,
And with your young Donald it may have happened so;
The lad ye love dearly, maybe is laid low.”

“My Donald from his promise can never depart,
For love, truth and honour are there in his heart;
And if I never see him, I single will go,
And I’ll mourn for my Donald in bonny Glencoe.”

Now finding her constant, he pulled out a glove
Where in parting she gave him, in a token of love.
When her eyes fell upon it, the tears down did flow
“Oh you are my Donald, returned to Glencoe.”

Stanley Robertson sinfs MacDonald of Glencoe

As I gaed out a-walking one evening of late
Where Flora’s green mantle the fields decorate,
I carelessly wandered where I should not go
Tae the banks o a fountain that lies in Glencoe.

To whom the prize of Mount Ida I’d won,
There approached me a lassie as bright as the sun.
And the ribbons and the tartans all aroon her did flow
That once graced MacDonald, the pride o Glencoe.

Wi courage undaunted tae her I drew nigh;
And the rose and the lily on her cheeks seemed tae vie.
I asked her her name and whar she did go
“Young man,” she replied, “I am bound for Glencoe.”

Says I, “bonnie lassie, yer comely, sweet smile
And yer rosy cheek aye my hairt dis beguile.
And if your kind attention on me you’ll bestow
Then ye’ll aye bless the day that we met in Glencoe..”

Says I, “bonnie laddie, yer suit I disdain,
For I eence hid a sweethairt, young Donal by name.
He went tae the wars some ten years ago
And a maid I’ll remain till he returns tae Glencoe.”

“But what if your Donal regards not your name
And has laid his affections ontae some foreign dame?
And maybe he’s forgotten, for aa that ye know,
The bonnie wee lassie he left in Glencoe.”

“My Donal’s true valour when proved in the field
Like his gallant ancestors disdaining tae yield.
And the French and the Spaniards he will surely o’erthrow
And return once again tae my airms in Glencoe.”

“But the powers of the French, love, they are hard to put down;
They have slain mony a hero of fame and renoun.
And maybe with your Donald this may happen so,
The man you love dearly perchance is laid low.”

“My Donal from his promise would never depart,
For love, truth and honour they abide in his heart.
And if my young Donal perchance is laid low
Then a maid I’ll remain all alone in Glencoe.”

At proving her constant, he pulled out a glove,
“A token on leavin, a token of love.”
And when she saw this, aye, the tears doon did flow,
Saying, “You are my young Donal returned tae Glencoe.”

“Oh yes, my dear Flora, for I have come home,
Nae mair for tae wander nae mair for tae roam.
And the rude blasts o war, they may strongly blow,
But in peace and content we’ll abide in Glencoe.”