The Royal House of Stuart should perhaps have been mentioned earlier, but, like other names famous in history, they did not leave much to posterity in the way of music or poetry. Enough has been composed and written about them, but that is another matter.
“THE MARCH OF CLAN STEWART”
is known in Perthshire as the “Sherramuir March,” because it was played at that battle by the pipers of the clan. According to tradition this tune was played both when the clan were marching to battle and in honour of a victory. It was played at Pinkie, Inverlochy, Sheriffmuir, and Prestonpans, and it was all along recognised as a tune peculiarly pertaining to the Stewarts. In accordance with Highland custom, the clansmen were in the habit of marching in the intervals of pipe music to improvised singing, and when or how the present words emerged from all previous improvisations and became a song it is impossible to say. At the battle of Pinkie in September, 1547, the clan was commanded by Donald Stewart, of Invernayle, the real chief being an old man. On the march homeward in October, when passing through Menteith, the clan found prepared at the house of one of the tenants a marriage dinner, at which the Earl of Menteith was to be present. Being hungry, Donald and his followers ate up the feast, and when Menteith arrived he was very angry, and instantly pursued the Stewarts. On overtaking them one of his men taunted them thus:—
“Yellow-haired Stewarts of smartest deeds,
Who could grab at the kail in your sorest needs,”
to which Stewart replied:—
“If smartness in deeds is ours by descent,
Then I draw, and to pierce you this arrow is sent,”
and he shot the man who had taunted his clan. A conflict ensued, in which the Earl and many of his men were killed, and then the Stewarts went off in triumph, their pipers playing the Stewarts’ March. The words now in use are the composition of an Iain Breac Mac Eanric (Henderson), a celebrated piper of the time of Montrose, and a resident in the Glencoe district. There would probably be older words, but those here given are those now associated with the tune:—
“The heath-clad Ben we’ll soon ascend,