Who wrote High Road to Gairloch?

Answer 1

This is normally credited as "Traditional". It was published around 1910 but the same tune had been known under a Gaelic name Gabhaid sinn an Rathad mò or We'll take the High Road. Quoting from The Fiddler's Companion, © 1996-2009 Andrew Kuntz :GABHAIDH SINN AN RATHAD MOR. AKA and see "We'll Take the High Road," "We'll Take the Highway," "The Stewart's March," "London Bridge is Falling Down." Scottish, Country Dance Tune (cut time) or March. A Major. Standard tuning. AAB. This melody is reported to have been played by the Stewart clan pipers at the battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715. In a still earlier martial connection, Charles Stewart in his Killin Collection suggests (without verification) that this is the same "Stewart's March" said to have been piped at the battle of Pinkie in 1547. Scottish, Pipe Tune. It is perhaps the tune (under the title "Suan agus Lagan") played by Alexander Lamon, piper to the Laird of Lamont, at the annual piping competition (originally the Falkirk Tryst) held at the Assembly hall, Edinburgh in October 1784 (as reported in the period journal Scots Magazine). To modern ears the tune is unmistakably the children's game-song "London Bridge is Falling Down," which has its origins as a Welsh 'penillion', or standard-tune, for use in traditional singing contests for improvising children's songs. A derivative of the melody is "Will You Go to Sheriffmiur?" published in James Oswald's Caledonian Pocket Companion of the 1750's. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; pg. 153. Greentrax CDTRAX 9009, Donald MacDonell (1888-1967) - "Scottish Tradition 9: The Fiddler and his Art" (1993).

Hope that's of some help.

Alex Gray

Two Lochs Radio http://ww.2LR.co.UK

Gairloch