BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Scottish Culture The Skye Boat Song

The Skye Boat Song is a music that stays with you � eminently singable and hummable. It tells the story of Bonnie Prince Charlie�s journey from the Uist to Skye. The song carries the optimism and hope of the Jacobites � men who believed in an independent Scotland.

The Skye Boat Song

Hello Asha,

Thank you for this article, I am so pleased I stumbled on it by chance - surprisingly it brought back a really delightful childhood memory for me as my Dad and us all in the family would have a sing song time (and our bedtime ever hovered at these times). He used to lead us (using it as the last song of the session) and it was with this and these thoughts we went to bed. We knew the whole song/all the verses (don't remember why) as we were brought up in Rhodesia.

Of course we did not know what it meant but the chorus is eminently singable. You can imagine my 'joy' at school much much later when as a 15-year-old we learnt about the Jacobites and the role of the Kings and Queens and great names in history including the famous battles.

As the subject was introduced in a way, our Scottish teacher named Miss Flora McDonald too (!) was astonished when I started to sing the song as I realised what it was about and the penny dropped and it all fell into place for me.

I remember that day as if it were just yesterday and must say too that then that started a whole new way of thinking for me and a real love affaire with study. I fell in love with history for sure, it made my history lessons come alive, regardless of what we were learning and when, as thereafter I remembered how real people lived at some time doing real things and living in real times.

History and things historical was and is still a delight even if my selective memory serves me betterthese days; when now, as a sort of semi-retired person I do not cope as readily with a lot of politics and life around the globe.

Anyway, thanks for the memory!

Cheers

Leslie what wonderful memories. I know just what you mean about things falling in to place with history - it was only when I wrote an article about Flora MacDonald that I realised (even though I knew the words of the song - at least the chorus and the first two verses which included her name) that she was referred to in the Skye Boat Song. She has an imposing statue outside Inverness Castle (which is now a Sheriff's Court) with a magnificent view over water to the Cathedral. I love the fact that your teacher bore Flora's name - I wonder if she knew the full story of her namesake (who spent time in the Tower of London due to the help she had offered her Prince).

Hey Asha,

I am certain she would have with her fiery red hair and blue blue eyes! I do remember her pretty face and smile, but boy you ran away if Miss McDonald got cross. Only in 'those days' her name and possible/probable namesake would not have been an appropriate topic to discuss with children (I guess) and of course facebook just didn't exist even as a twinkle. Besides, we spent a lot of time playing catch and stuff so who would have had time to sit in front of the computer?! Who indeed? Smiling I send cheers

Interesting what you say about sitting in front of a computer Leslie. The English National Trust has recently started a campaign to get children doing outside activities such as climbing a tree, flying a kite and building a den...

50 Things To Do Before You're Eleven and Three Quarters...

Imagine Flora MacDonald (either your teacher or the one that helped Bonnie Prince Charlie) spending all day in front of a computer; I reckon a lot of history wouldn't have happened if they'd had computers about to distract them!

Hi there,

Just the last word I guess - my Ms McDonald was a Mc and not a Mac though I doubt they were too different. But talking about history being different, well yes, our teacher may have been distractd from moulding young minds in quite the same way (and how pleased I am for her style) and Bonnie Prince Charlie would not have been as bonnie for sure.

Of course I do not mean to be flippant, but that kind of courage is far more few and far between these days in my experience, though limited. Life today seems really egocentric - the 'I' generations have certainly had impact. Today everything and anything is rationalised, excused, let off on technicalities etc. etc. and so on. It seems to be harder and more difficult and all that to live a double life - one we all know inherently to be the right one and then the one we do for expedience.

Oh madam, your cynicism is showing!

Will sign off and say sorry if I dampen spirits, don't really want to and I say yay and thanks for the Floras of the world, may they be ever found amongst us!

Cheers ... am off to read all the things I should do before I turn something-and-one and three quarters. I will see how many I did anyway then - and also see which I can catch up on if at all possible. Now there is a challenge!

P S Visiting Scotland in the summer is on my 'bucket list' - hope I make it, there is so much that I have read that is intriguing and that calls to me.