The Battle of Prestonpans (Adam Skirving)

This is the full-length version of the song ‘The Battle of Prestonpans’, written by the farmer, Adam Skirving, in 1746 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 It was written from Skirving’s point of view, and details the events of, and characters involved in, the 1745 battle at Prestonpans, where the Jacobites swept away the British Army. I have relatives on both sides of this conflict, and this song gives such a vibrant image of both parties. James Roy, my 8th great grandfather was involved with the Jacobites, whilst Thomas Strachan, my 7th great grandfather was a Hanoverian. I took the full lyrics from Michael Brander’s book, Scottish and Border Battles and Ballads, with music notation provided by Jimmie Macgregor. I first heard The Corries singing an abridged version of this song, and I fell in love with it; as such, I’ve set this rendition to the same music as theirs, but without the chorus (it doesn’t appear in Skirving’s original lyrics). I hope you enjoy the historical value in this, because the singing isn’t great 😅 Lyrics: Adam Skirving (1746) Music: The Corries, Jimmie Macgregor Vocals & Guitar: Robb Morrow