> June Tabor > Songs > Queen Among the Heather

Queen Among the Heather

[ Roud 375 ; G/D 5:962 ; Ballad Index K141 ; Mudcat 125348 ; trad.]

Jeannie Robertson sang the Scottish traditional love song The Queen Among the Heather to Alan Lomax in London in November 1953. This recording was included in 1998 as the title track of her Rounder CD The Queen Among the Heather. The album’s booklet commented:

This song is known variously as Up the Wide and Lonely Glen, Skippy’ Barefoot Through the Heather and Far Up Yon Wide and Lofty Glens. Its many variants are widespread in the British Isles. In this sunniest of Love stories, no motives of greed or pregnancy force the union of the couple.

Belle Stewart sang Queen Amang the Heather in a recording made by Bill Leader in his own home in Camden Town, London, in 1964/5. This recording was issued in 1965 on the Topic LP The Stewarts of Blair. Hamish Henderson noted:

This splendid version of a song equally well-known among the Scots farming community and the travelling folk was learnt by Belle when she still was a wee bairn—among the singers to have contributed to her version are old Henry MacGregor of Perth, her cousin Jimmy Whyte and her brother Donald MacGregor. Version of it used to be as thick as blueberries in Strathmore and the Braes of Angus. It seems to be related to Ower the Muir Amang the Heather, of which Burns wrote: “This song is the composition of Jean Glover … I took the song down from her singing as she was strolling through the country with a sleight-of-hand blackguard.” Subsequent collecting makes it almost certain that Jean’s version was itself a re-shaping of an older Ettrick song. James Hogg, the Ettrick shepherd, produced a version which was in turn modified. Musical and textual evidence however, suggests that—as in the case of Huntingtower—a classic ballad lies behind the lyric lovesong. In this case, the progenitor is Glasgow Peggie (Child 228), the tunes for which are clearly related to Queen Amang the Heather, and whose story present a parallel situation—the Highlander who takes the heiress he has carried off and beds her down “amang the heather” before revealing that he is himself a Chieftain.

Fred Kent recorded Belle Stewart singing this song again in Blairgowrie in May 1976; this was published as title track of her 1977 Topic LP Queen Among the Heather. It was included on the Topic anthologies As Me and My Love Sat Courting (The Voice of the People Series, Vol. 15; 1998) and Three Score and Ten. A recording of her daughter Sheila Stewart by Doc Rowe in Blairgowrie on 15 October 1998 can be found on her Topic CD From the Heart of the Tradition. She also sang it on the 1971 Tangent album of songs from the Greig-Duncan Collection, Folk Songs of North-East Scotland.

Archie Fisher sang Queen Among the Heather in 1976 on his Folk-Legacy album The Man With a Rhyme.

June Tabor learnt Queen Among the Heather from the singing of Belle Stewart of Blairgowrie and sang it unaccompanied on her first solo album, Airs and Graces (1976). This recording was later included in her anthology The Definitive Collection.

Dick Gaughan learned Bonnie Lass Amang the Heather from Gordon MacAuley of Campbelltown and sang it in 1978 on his eponymous Topic album Gaughan.

Colin Thompson sang Bonny Lass Amongst the Heather in 1980 on his Fellside album Three Knights.

Roisín White sang Among the Heather on her 1992 Veteran Tapes cassette The First of My Rambles.

Andy M. Stewart sang Queen Amangst the Heather in 1997 on his Green Linnet album Donegal Rain. He noted:

This was a song I remember from family ceilidhs when I was very young and it was a great favourite of my grandfather, Andy MacGregor from Perthshire. There are many songs in the tradition where two young people of different social classes are tragically attracted to each other, but in this song the young girl is far too smart to be really taken in by the blandishments of the rich young man. However, this doesn’t prevent her from having a bit of a fling with him. The version of this song that I sing is from Perthshire but my father, who was from Banffshire, sang a version which contained the lyric: “And the colour of her petticoats were plain tae be seen, they were the colour of the bells of the carlin heather.”

Ellen Mitchell sang Queen Among the Heather on her and Kevin Mitchell’s 2001 Musical Traditions anthology Have a Drop Mair. The album’s booklet commented:

Ellen: I heard this song over many years, sung most famously by Belle Stewart, but I didn’t actually start singing it until much later. And sometimes the reason for learning a song at a certain time is inexplicable but I decided really to learn it after hearing Sheila Douglas singing it. Maybe she broke the spell of an imaginary idea I had that it was Belle’s song.

Although a very different version of this song, usually called Down the Moor, is popular in the north of Ireland, the present one is very much a Scottish song—the great majority of Roud’s 50 examples being from there, along with most of the broadside printings. Jeannie Robertson and Belle Stewart were the main contenders for the crown, and of course, Belle’s daughter Sheila now sings it too.

Jeannie Robertson’s cousin Stanley Robertson sang Up a Wild and Lonely Glen at the Fife Traditional Singing Festival, Collessie, Fife in May 2005. This recording was included a year later on the festival anthology For Friendship and for Harmony (Old Songs & Bothy Ballads Volume 2).

Jim Malcolm sang Queen Amang the Heather on his 2013 album Still. He noted:

This version of a fine old Scots song comes from the singing of Belle Stewart, one of the famous Stewarts of Blairgowrie. The travelling people of Scotland kept our music alive for centuries, passing songs down through the oral tradition long before anyone wrote them down. We owe them a debt of gratitude.

Iona Fyfe sang Queen Amang the Heather in 2016 on the Iona Fyfe Band’s EP East. She commented:

An iconic song in ballad history. Features in Greig-Duncan Volume 5. Sung amongst tradition bearers such as Jeannie Robertson and Belle Stewart and was popular amongst travelling families. The song has multiple variants including Up the Wide and Lonely Glen and Skippin’ Bar’fit Through the Heather—which was collected from Jessie Murray of Morayshire.

This video shows Iona Fyfe singing Queen Among the Heather at the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Final in February 2017:

Dougie Mackenzie sang Queen Amang the Heather on his 2019 Greentrax album Along the Way. He noted:

The best known version is from the singing of the late Sheila Stewart. This version is not hers, but the story is the same.

Edgelarks sang Queen Among the Heather on their 2020 CD Henry Martin. They noted:

Another song featuring the classic ‘love defies all boundaries’ trope. Of course, the poor girl must still be pretty to stand a chance of marrying out of poverty. Nonetheless, wc loved the idiosyncratic timing, and thoroughly enjoyed singing a happy ending for once!

Lyrics

Jeannie Robertson sings Queen Amang the Heather

For it’s up a wide and a lonely glen
It was shaded by many a lofty mountain,
For it being into the busy hands of men
It being the first day that I went out a-hunting.

For it being to me a happy day,
There did I spied my roving fancy.
She was herding her yowes to her knowes
And in amongst the carling heather.

For her coat was white, her gown was green,
Her body it being long and slender.
Wi’ her cast-down look and her weel-far’d face,
It has oftimes made my heart to wonder.

For it’s I’ve been to balls where they were bussy and braw,
And it’s I’ve been as far as Balquhidder,
And the bonniest lassie that e’er I saw,
She was kilted and barefooted amongst the heather.

Says I, “My lass, will you come with me
And sleep with me in a bed of feathers?
I’ll gie ye silks and scarlets that will make ye shine,
And leave all your mains amongst the heather.”

She said, “My lad, you’re very fair,
I really think you’re all for sportin’.
For it’s your being the son of a high squire man
And me but a poor humble shepherd’s dochter.”

But it’s her I sought, and her I got,
And it’s her I really intend to marry.
Fare-ye-well, fare-ye-well to your heather hills,
Fare-ye-well, fare-ye-well, my song is ended.

Belle Stewart sings Queen Amang the Heather

Noo, as I roved out one summer’s morn
Amang the lofty hills and moorland and mountain,
It was there I spied a lovely maid,
Whilst I with others was out a-hunting.

No shoes nor stockings did she wear;
Neither had she hat nor had she feather,
But her golden locks, aye, in ringlets rare
In the gentle breeze played around her shoulders.

“Oh,” I said, “braw lassie, why roam your lane?
Why roam your lane amang the heather?”
For she says, “My faither’s awa fae hame
And I’m herding a’ his yowes thegether.”

“Noo,” I said, “braw lassie, if you’ll be mine
And care to lie on a bed o’ feathers,
In silks and satin it’s you will shine,
And you’ll be my queen amang the heather.”

“But,” she said, “kind sir, your offer is good,
But I’m afraid it was meant for laughter,
For I know you are some rich squire’s son
And that I’m a poor lame shepherd’s dochter.”

“But had you been a shepherd loon
A-herding yowes in the yonder valley,
Or had you been a plooman’s son,
Wi’ all my heart I would hae lo’ed ye.”

Noo, I hae been to balls and I hae been to halls;
I have been in London and Balquhidder,
But the bonniest lassie that ever I did see
She was herding the yowes amang the heather.

So we baith sat doon upon the plain.
We sat awhile and we talked thegether,
And we left the yowes for to stray their lane,
Till I wooed my queen amang the heather.

June Tabor sings Queen Among the Heather

Oh, as I rode out one morning fair
Over lofty hill, moorland and mountain,
It was there I met with a fine young girl,
While I with others was hunting.

No shoes nor stockings did she wear;
Neither had she hat nor had she feather,
But her golden curls, aye, and ringlets rare
In the gentle breeze played round her shoulders.

I said, “Fair lassie, why roam your lane?
Why roam your lane among the heather?”
She said, “My father’s away from home
And I’m herding of his ewes together.”

I said, “Fair lassie, if you’ll be mine
And you lie on a bed o’ feathers,
In silks and satin it’s you will shine,
And you’ll be my queen among the heather.”

She said, “Kind sir, your offer is good,
But I’m afraid it’s meant for laughter,
For I know you are some rich squire’s son
And I’m a poor lame shepherd’s daughter.”

“Oh, but had you been some shepherd lad
A-herding ewes among the heather,
Or had you been some ploughman’s son,
It’s with all my heart I would have loved you.”

Now, I’ve been to balls and I have been to halls;
I have been to London and Balquhidder,
But the bonniest lassie that ever I did see
She was herding of her ewes together.

So we both sat down upon the plain.
We sat awhile and we talked together,
And we left the ewes for to stray their lane,
Till I won my queen among the heather.

Andy M. Stewart sings Queen Amangst the Heather

As I roved out one summer’s morn
Amang lofty hills, moorlands and mountains,
It was there I spied a weel-taured maid
As I with others was out a-huntin’.

No shoes nor stockings did she wear,
Neither had she cap nor had she feather.
But her golden hair hung in ringlets fair
And the gentle breeze played around her shoulders.

I says, “Braw lassie, why roam your lane
Why roam your lane amangst the heather?”
She says, “My faither’s away fae hame
And I’m herdin’ all his ewes thegither.”

I said, “Braw lassie, and you’d be mine
And care to lie on a bed of feathers,
In silks and satins it’s you would shine
And you’d be my gueen amangst the heather.”

She said, “Kind sir, your offer’s good
Ah, but I’m afraid ’twas meant for laughter.
For I see that you are some rich squire’s son
And I just a poor lane shepherd’s daughter.

“Ah, but had you been a shepherd lad
And herdin’ ewes in yonder valley
Or had you been a ploo’man’s son
Wi’ a’ my heart I would hae loo’d ye.”

So we baith sat doon upon the plain,
We sat awhile and we cracked thegither.
And we left the ewes to roam their lane
Whilst I loo’ed my queen amangst the heather.

I hae been to halls and I hae been to ball,
I hae been to London and Balquhidder,
But the bonniest lassie that ever I hae seen
She was herdin’ her ewes amangst the heather.

Stanley Robertson sings Up a Wild and Lonely Glen

It’s up a wild and lonely glen,
Shaded by many a fearful mountain,
’Twas far fae the busy haunts o men,
The first day that I gaed oot a-huntin.

Now I hae been tae parties and balls,
And I hae been as far as Balquhidder,
And the bonniest lassie that e’er I spied,
She wis herdin her yowies among the heather.

Her face wis white, her goun wis green,
Her form it wis sae tall and slender,
Wi her douncast looks and her weel-fared face,
For she made my hert nae mair tae render.

Says I, “Bonnie lass, wid ye gang wi me,
And lie wi me in a bed o feathers?
And the silks and the scarlets I’ll mak them thine:
Leave aa your lambs and yowies thegether.”

Says she, “Kind Sir, your offer’s fair,
But I think it is meant in laughter,
For you are the son o some rich squire,
And I but a humble shepherd’s dochter.”

I bless the time, I bless the day,
When first it taen my rovin fancy,
She wis herdin her sheep amongst the hills,
The first time I ever hae spied my Nancy.