The Braes o' Killiecrankie facts for kids

Braes o' Killiecrankie is the name of several old folk songs from Scotland. This article is about the version that starts with the line "Whare hae ye been sae braw, lad?"

There are other songs with similar names. One version begins "Clavers and his highland men," and another starts "On a thistle I sat doon." But the one we're talking about here is the most famous.

What is "Braes o' Killiecrankie"?

This well-known Scottish folk song is connected to a real historical event: the Battle of Killiecrankie. This battle happened in 1689 during a time called the Jacobite rebellion. The Jacobites were people who supported King James VII of Scotland (who was also King James II of England) when he lost his throne.

A Song from History

The Battle of Killiecrankie was an important part of the Jacobite rebellion. Many years later, in 1819, a writer named James Hogg put together a collection of songs about these battles. His book was called Jacobite Reliques. In this book, he listed our song simply as "Killiecrankie."

Who Wrote the Song?

The first three verses and the chorus of "Braes o' Killiecrankie" were written by the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns. He set his words to an older tune that was already popular. James Hogg might have helped write some of the extra verses that were added later.

The Song's Music

Here is the music for the song. It shows the notes and the first part of the lyrics. <score midi="5" %vorbis="1"%%T257066%> \relative c { \time 2/4 \key g \major \partial 8 g16( a) | b8 b \grace { c8 } b a16( g) | c4 c8 b16( a) | b8 b c16( b) a( g) | b8 d d g,16( a) | b8 b c16( b) a16( g) | c4 c8 b16( a) | b16( c) d16( b) a8 g | d8 g g \bar "||" b16( c) | d8 d, d e16( f) | e8 d16( e) c8 b'16( c) | d8 d, d' d, | b' d d\fermata b16( c) | d8 d, d e16( f) | g16( f) e( d) c8 b'16 c | b16( c) d( b) a8 g | e g g \bar "|." } \addlyrics {Whare | hae ye been sae | braw, lad? Whare | hae ye been sae | bran -- kie, O? Whare | hae ye been sae | braw, lad? Came | ye by Kil -- li -- | cran -- kie, O? An | ye had been whare | I hae been, Ye | wad -- na been sae | can -- tie, O; An | ye had seen what | I hae seen, I' the | braes o' Kil -- li -- | crank -- kie, O. }</score>

The Song's Words

The lyrics below are from James Hogg's version of the song. They are written in an old Scottish language, but you can still understand the story! "Braes" means hillsides.

James Hogg version

Stanza 1

Whare hae ye been sae braw, lad?

Whare hae ye been sae brankie, O?

Whare hae ye been sae braw, lad?

Came ye by Killicrankie, O?

Chorus

An ye had been whare I hae been,

Ye wadna been sae cantie, O;

An ye had seen what I hae seen,

I' the braes o' Killicrankie, O.

Stanza 2

I faught at land, I faught at sea,

At hame I faught my auntie, O;

But I met the devil and Dundee

On the braes o' Killicrankie, O.

(Chorus)

Stanza 3

The bauld Pitcur fell in a furr,

And Clavers got a clankie, O,

Or I had fed an Athol gled

On the braes o' Killicrankie, O.

(Chorus)

Stanza 4

O fie, Mackay, what gart ye lie

I' the bush ayont the brankie, O?

Ye'd better kiss'd King Willie's loof,

Than come to Killicrankie, O.

It's nae shame, it's nae shame,

It's nae shame to shank ye, O;

There's sour slaes on Athol braes,

And deils at Killicrankie, O.

Famous Recordings

Many musicians have recorded "Braes o' Killiecrankie" over the years. Here are some notable versions:

• The Scottish band Big Country made a version with strong guitar music.
• The Corries recorded it in 1966, and their recording was one of the first to use a music video.
• Jean Redpath included it on her album The Songs of Robert Burns, Volumes 5 & 6.
• Marc Gunn recorded it on his first solo album, Soul of a Harper, in 2004.
• Jim Malcolm, who used to be in the band Old Blind Dogs, recorded it on his album Acquaintance.
• The Scottish group "Broadsword" (Ian Jaconelli and Paul Kelly) put it on their self-titled album.
• The McCalmans included it on their album The Scottish Songs.
• Scottish folk singer Bob Stewart recorded it on the album Rooted In Folk.
• "The Jacobites by Name" included it on their first album in 2016.