Braes and Wild Mountains

Undoubtedly we have all at some point in our lives heard the song called ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’ which has the famous line of chorus ‘will ye go lassie go’. It is less well known that this is taken from Robert Tannahill’s earlier song ‘The Braes of Balquhidder’. Balquhidder, which retains the Older Scots spelling quh – sounded ‘wh’ or ‘k’ depending on the word – lies at the head of Loch Voil in Lomond and the Trossachs, Stirlingshire. In Scots the use of ‘braes’ plural means uplands or hill country.  As was often the tradition in those days, Tannahill used some spelling forms in the songs that were more usual to English – go rather than gae or gang – but the song is rich in the language of the day.

The Braes o' Balquhidder

Chorus:

Let us go, lassie, go
Tae the braes o' Balquhidder
Whar the blueberries grow
'Mang the bonnie Hielan' heather
Whar the deer and the rae
Lichtly bounding thegither
Sport the lang summer day
On the braes o' Balquhidder

I will twin thee a bow'r
By the clear silver fountain
And I'll cover it o'er
Wi' the flooers o' the mountain
I will range through the wilds
And the deep glens sae dreary
And return wi' their spoils
Tae the bow'r o' my dearie

Chorus

When the rude wintry win'
Idly raves roun' oor dwellin'
And the roar o' the linn
On the nicht breeze is swellin'
So merrily we'll sing
As the storm rattles o'er us
Till the dear shielin' ring
Wi' the licht liltin' chorus

Chorus

Noo the summers in prime
Wi' the flooers richly bloomin'
Wi' the wild mountain thyme
A' the moorlan's perfumin'
Tae oor dear native scenes
Let us journey thegither
Whar glad innocence reigns
'Mang the braes o' Balquhidder

Chorus