Digital Tradition Mirror

The Haughs o' Cromdale

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Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

The Haughs o' Cromdale

As I came in by Auchindoun,
A little wee bit frae the toun,
When to the Highlands I was bound,
To view the haughs of Cromdale,
I met a man in tartan trews,
I speir'd at him what was the news;
Quo' he the Highland army rues,
That e'er we came to Cromdale.

We were in bed, sir, every man,
When the Engligh host upon us came,
Abloody battle then began
Upon the haughs of Cromdale.
The English horse they were so rude,
They bath'd their hooves in Highland blood,
But our brave clans, they boldly stood
Upon the haughs of Cromdale.

But, alas! We could no longer stay,
For o'er the hills we came away,
And sore we do lament the day,
That e'er we came to Cromdale.
Thus the great Montrose did say,
Can you direct the nearest way?
For I will o'er the hills this day,
And view the haughs of Cromdale.

Alas, my lord, you're not so strong,
You scarcely have two thousand men,
And there's twenty thousand on the plain,
Stand rank and file on Cromdale.
Thus the great Montrose did say,
I say, direct the nearest way,
For I will o'er the hills this day,
And see the haughs of Cromdale.

They were at dinner, every man,
When great Montrose upon them came,
A second battle then began,
Upon the haughs of Cromdale.
The Grant, Mackenzie and MacKay,
Soon as Montrose they did espy,
O then, they fought most valiantly!
Upon the haughs of Cromdale.

The Macdonalds they returned again,
The Camerons did their standard join,
MacIntosh play'd a bloody game,
Upon the haughs of Cromdale.
The MacGregors fought like lions bold,
MacPhersons, none could them control,
MacLaughlins fought, like loyal souls,
Upon the haughs of Cromdale.

MacLeans, MacDougals, and MacNeils,
So boldly as they took the field,
And make their enemies to yield,
Upon the haughs of Cromdale.
The Gordons boldly did advance,
The Frasers fought with sword and lance,
The Grahams they made the heads to dance,
Upon the haughs of Cromdale.

The loyal Stewarts with Montrose,
So boldly set upon their foes,
And brought them down with Highland blows,
Upon the haughs of Cromdale.
Of twenty thousand Cromwell's men,
Five hundred fled to Aberdeen
The rest of them lie on the plain,
Upon the haughs of Cromdale.


notes: battle: 30 April, 1690.
From The Scottish Minstrel, and Hogg's Jacobite Relics.
Brander says: "The ballad of 'The Haughs of Cromdale' is taken from
Hogg's Jacobite Relics. It was originally produced to describe this
battle and as it has a catchy tune was soon being sung all over the
Highlands. This seems to have been too much for some unknown bard and,
in an effort to redeem the description of this defeat of the clans
in 1690, he added on a somewhat highflown description of Montrose's
victory at Auldearn over the Covenanter army in 1645. Thus the two
battles, forty-five years and a considerable number of miles apart,
were unceremoniously joined together. The gallant Montrose, who had
been dead for over forty years, was brought to life in verse to win
another battle. The result is a horribly muddled ballad, but one which
has been immensely popular. To the strains of the pipes playing this
tune the Highlanders have charged and won battles all round the world."
p. 186 TD
TD
oct97

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