"Story and Song from Loch Ness-Side"

[108]

Glenmoriston, as well as being poetic, has also been musical, and our little district was at all times blessed with plenty of good Highland music. Besides pipers and fiddlers, there were numbers who sang with much taste and good effect the beautiful songs and hymns then well known to the Highland people everywhere, and not a few who could sing not badly some Scotch songs, such as the immortal love lyrics of Scotia's own sweet singer.

There was at one time in our district one of the best pipers living in his day - the far-famed Finlay Mac Leod ("Fionnladh Piobaire"). Few persons were more popular or better known in the Central Highlands, from sixty to ninety years ago, than Finlay, Glen moriston's famous piper. He was best known along the valley of the Great Glen, but his fame as a magnificent bagpipe player, and as a remarkable personality, travelled far beyond. MacLeod was the son of a man who served for many years as herd to the reigning Mac Phadruig, and came of a family originally from the Western Isles. His one great aim and object as a young man was to become a good piper; and finding it difficult to get taught to his own liking, he was under stood to have put himself for some time in touch with a band of tinkers, among whom were then to be found some really good bagpipe players, who knew [109] the genuine old music. MacLeod joined the army, however, as a recruit, and in course became one of the best exponents of pibrochs and marches of his time. He served for many years in the great Penin sular War, visiting Spain and other places on the Continent. He experienced many privations, and had much hard work abroad; on one occasion, during a forced march, playing a distance of 27 miles without a halt. He was wounded in action. He always had kind memories of the French, whom he said he frequently found exchanging flasks with their British enemies. He was not present at Waterloo, though not far away during the battle. After "wild war's deadly blast was blawn" MacLeod returned to Glenmoriston, and became piper to James Murray Grant, 12th Laird, one of the most distinguished and most popular of the illustrious house of MacPhadruig. Finlay and his noble master got on remarkably well. MacPhadruig was too much of a gentleman to require the ceremony and etiquette which weak-kneed Society imposes, and between him and his piper there was simply "You, Finlay" and "You, James". Finlay was one day playing on the Tower, when Glenmoriston called him inside to give him a glass of whisky. Mrs Grant was present. Finlay drank off to the health of his laird. "Why have you not also drank to Mrs Grant's health, Finlay?" in quired Grant. "Ah! James, how could I drink to the health of two from one glass?" answered Finlay; "if you fill me another glass, I shall, with much pleasure, drink to the health and happiness of your noble lady." He got his second glass; and, having no dislike to the national beverage, he thought he had a fair share of good luck that day.

[110] MacPhadruig put Finlay forward one year to com pete at the Inverness Northern Meeting Games. When, however, Finlay's turn to appear came round he did not find himself, it would seem, in the best condition to play for a prize. Grant was much annoyed. "Is this your treatment of me, now, Finlay?" said he. "James, my man," replied Finlay, "get you the pipes on my shoulder, and I will do my best for you." This was done, and he played so well as to win the prize. This was in the year 1813, when Finlay's name appears in the list of prize-takers at the Inverness Games.

One of Finlay's characteristic traits was a spirit of contempt for the more worldly matters of everyday life. He did not believe in worrying too much for a living. This was beneath him. Sufficient for him was what the day brought about; and there was always enough. He had a good croft from his chief and patron at the foot of Easter Achnanconeran, which is still known as "Pairc Fhionnlaidh " ("Finlay's Park"), but farming was not at all in his line. He preferred the company of pipers, fiddlers, and other boon companions of the musical hour. One day his byre took fire. But nothing so ordinary would disturb him. He took his pipes, and, as we read of Nero having "fiddled" while Rome was burning, Finlay struck up a pibroch while his byre was in flames. And the tune he selected was suitable to the occasion. He chose "Cille-Chriosda" ("Kil- christ"), the pibroch, according to a certain tradition, composed and played by the famous Allan of Lundie's piper, at the burning of the church, near Contin, in 1603, said to have been set on fire by the heroic Allan while his enemies, the Mackenzies, were worshipping [111] within - a tradition, however, which is believed by many to have no foundation in fact.

In Finlay's day the interesting and beautiful custom of pibroch-playing at funerals was generally in vogue; and late one Saturday evening, as he was returning home from attending an interment in Glengarry, he had occasion to pass the ruins of "Creagan-an-Fhithich" ("the Black Castle of Inver garry"), the ancient and illustrious seat of the Mac Donells of Glengarry. Feeling his sentiments appealed to by the associations which attached to the locality, inside the walls he went, and he played there, all alone, a selection of pibrochs, as he declared afterwards him self, to the memory of a glorious but vanished past.

MacPhadruig was very proud of his beloved piper, who enjoyed his master's kindness in a remarkable manner. Not less mindful was Grant of Finlay's home, and the following story used to be told in this connection. When once in need of a cow, Mac- Phadruig gave him money to buy one. But Finlay seems to have applied the money to some other purpose. When quite penniless he, of course, made tracks for home, and, all of a sudden, began to wonder how he could show his face there at all in the circum stances. By the bye, he spied a horse by the roadside, and, taking possession of the animal for the time, he mounted, riding homewards at his ease. On arriving, his wife asked him what kind of a cow he had got, to which very natural question his laconic reply is said to have been: "She is yonder, and if you can get the udder, you will also get the milk." The following is also associated with his name in local story: On one occa- sion he was driving home a stirk he had come by, as [112] it would appear, on favourable terms on one of his tours; and, so as to avoid the trouble of walking round to a bridge, some distance away, he adopted the alternative of driving the animal through a stream. When about mid-way across, however, the force of the water carried the stirk off its feet, and away to where it soon was beyond recall. Finlay's philo sophic summing up of the situation was characteristic - "'S ann mar sin is trie a bhitheas: an rud a thig air a' ghaoth falbhaidh e air an uisge" - ("Such is fre quently the case: what comes on the wind goes away on the water"). MacLeod died at Invermoriston, and his remains were buried in the churchyard there, where an interesting head wall marks the spot. As a pibroch player he was admitted to have few or no equals, and as a player of marches he stood also in the front rank; while he was a Highlander and a patriot in the first degree. Contemporary with him were Big Bruce, Sir Walter Scott's famous piper; Archie Munro, Glen garry's piper; Thomas MacDonald, Abriachan, Seafield's piper; and several others, who were excellent performers; but as a player of the ancient music in all its sweetness and fulness, he was considered a chief among them all.

Finlay knew Highland pibrochs, and the history of them, as few, if any, since has known either. He held that many of our compositions were being modernised to an alarming extent, even in his time, and he deplored the tendency. We heard it frequently stated, as having come from him, that the air now played for "The Mackintosh's Lament" was known to the old pipers as "Latha Blar Inbhir-Cheitein" ("The Battle of Inver keithing"), and his music for the former was [113] substantially on the lines of "Mnathan-a'-Ghlinne," which the rhyme certainly suits better. A verse of the words for the other, and which sings much more smoothly to the air, is:

Frequently in Finlay's company were Thomas Mac- Donald and Archie Munro. Thomas was of a family of MacDonalds who were hereditary pipers to the Seafield family for generations. The last of them settled in Abriachan, where his descendants still nourish. It may be interesting to mention that his M.S. of pibrochs, which is said to have been in the Mac Crimmon notation, was in evidence for some time after his death.

Archie Munro was a native of Oban. He served as piper to Glengarry for a considerable time, and was well known all over the Glenmore valley. Many a day MacLeod, MacDonald, and he, made the piob-mhor sound and resound about Invermoriston. After Glen- garry's lamented death, Archie was never the same man. He was engaged as piper for a time with Sir John MacRae, of Ardintoul, Kintail, but he afterwards settled in Fort Augustus, where he died, leaving a widow and family. He was the composer of the popular pibroch known as "Glengarry's Lament". He appears to have ardently loved his old Chief, and for long after his famous patron's death he was often heard speaking to himself as if addressing his adored master in person.

Just as Finlay was ageing, there was coming to the front another excellent piper in the person of John [114] Campbell, a native of GlenUrquhart, who had married and settled in Invermoriston. He also had been in the army for a time. He was a most excellent all round performer; could play pibrochs well, marches better, and dance music superlatively. He had a style all his own, and which we have never heard excelled. He was of more than ordinary intelligence, and possessed a fund of story. For years he acted as the district postman and registrar, in which capacities he discharged his duties with great acceptance. He took much interest in the place and its people. He had imbued a number of the young men of the district with a love for the instrument he was himself so fond of. But the economic conditions of latter days were directly antagonistic. Most of the young men, one after another, left the place, seeking pastures new; and the old Highland spirit which nursed and nourished the national sentiment was fast becoming a mere shadow of its former self.

After Campbell, our piping was led by a family, Fletcher to name, who became very popular. The father settled in Invermoriston as shoemaker, and he was not only a good piper, but also an excellent fiddler. Two of the sons could play the pipes well, one of them, Alexander, having secured the much coveted first prize for pibrochs at the Northern Meeting Games in 1887.

No less efficient than our piping was our fiddling. Two exceptionally good exponents of the ancient fiddle music, with its long bowing and its characteristic snap, were "Donald the Fiddler" and "Peter the Fiddler." Before John Campbell's time it was difficult to meet with a piper in the district who could play reels and strath speys well ; and the fiddler was the musician at mostly every dance. Those fiddlers as a rule were also dancing [115] masters, and taught the terpsichorean art with much success; for there were really graceful dancers in those olden days. Donald and Peter were interesting char acters in their time. There was practically no limit to the number of tunes they knew and played; while they could give an intelligent account of the origin and history of .almost every one of them.

At several jolly functions held in our locality one of the most interesting Highland fiddlers of his day was usually the performer. He was known all over the Central Highlands by the name of " Delvine," given to him, it was said, from his passionate fondness for his favourite tune - "Delvine Side" - which he played with remarkable skill and effect. Delvine commanded unusually interesting associations. He was the son of Allan MacDougall, bard to the famous Chief of Glengarry. Blind Allan was one of the best of latter-day Gaelic poets. Most of his compositions are beautifully worded, and are per- meated with the true spirit of the Highland life of the olden time. Allan adored his noble chief and his family. Young MacDougall was known to have often played on the lawn with the chief's children, and he always cherished the fondest remembrances of the whole household, of Invergarry, and its associations. He inherited a love for song and music, and eventually acquired a very considerable mastery over his beloved fiddle. His home was in Fort Augustus, but he visited our district at least three or four times a year. No sooner was it known that he had come than it was arranged to have a night's entertainment, and the whole population became interested like one person. It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm with which the work [116] was entered into, so as to get through in time for the fun and frolic in store. The proceedings consisted invariably of dancing, story-telling, and songs; and usually there was very little in the way of refreshments. The musician was not extortionate in his charge, which, as a rule, consisted of a bag or two of potatoes, or some other payment in kind, contributed by the company. Poor, kindly Delvine died comparatively young, and he was, indeed, much missed.

Now and again an effort was made to get up an evening's entertainment with no musical instrument but the trump, which, however, rendered wonderful service. On such occasions music was also sometimes supplied by the "Port-a-Beul;" and there were some who could do this far better than others. Taking the brander as fiddle and the tongs as bow, a few were artistes at diddling tunes. Some of the strains then heard will be suggested by the following, which are representative:

Chapter 6