The Bonny Highland Laddie

reel

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on October 17th 2006 by enirehtac.

This tune has been added to 11 tunebooks.

Also known as Cairn O' Mount, Cairney Mount.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• A Tune For Bill by Banchory Strathspey And Reel Society
• Another Measure: Scottish Country Dance Music From The 1950's, Volume 2 by Adam Rennie And His Scottish Country Dance Quartet
• Sae Will We Yet by Tony Cuffe

X: 1
T: Bonny Highland Laddie, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
|:dB|A2D2 F2A2|BAGF E2dB|A2D2 F2A2|BcdA F2A2|
D2d2 d2ef|e2E2 E3D|F2A2 BcdB|A2D2 F2:|
|:A2|d3e defd|gfed e2fe|d2A2 F2A2|BcdA F2A2|
D2d2 d2ef|e2E2 E3D|F2A2 BcdB|A2D2 F2:|

Bonny HIghland Laddie

This is from Gow's Collection. I posted it because it is on one of the recordings in the Session. It's a lovely, light tune. I can't decide if it is a reel or strathspey. Can it be both? I listed it as a reell because in the only recording I know of it, it is played rather fast for a strathspey.

# Posted on October 17th 2006 by enirehtac

It's not a Strathspey. I would class it as a Lowland Scots reel (like tunes such as The White Cockade, The Flowers of Edinburgh, My Love is But a Lassie Yet). I believe the term 'single reel' is sometimes applied to these, although that is sometimes applied to another type of tune. In Ireland, tunes such as these sometimes get classified as hornpipes or polkas.

But I think you have categorised it correctly.

# Posted on October 18th 2006 by granama