Friday 29 June 2012
Tune of the Day: Campbell's Farewell to Redcastle
Traditional Scottish pipe march
The Campbell referred to in the title is probably Captain Robert Campbell of Glenlyon, who led troops in the massacre of Glencoe Pass in 1692. Redcastle is a village on the north side of Beauly Firth, approximately 100 miles from Glencoe; its castle, built in 1179, is now in a state of ruinous disrepair, but it was until relatively recently one of the oldest inhabited houses in Scotland.
The Scots Guards Standard Pipe Settings suggests that “The Sweet Maid of Glendaruel” follow “Campbell's Farewell to Redcastle”. The march also found its way across the Atlantic, where it's played in Old-Time and Bluegrass circles.