Over the sea to Skye

Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing,
Onward the sailors cry,
Carry the lad that is born to be King,
Over the sea to Skye.

Loud the winds howl, loud the winds roar,
Thunderclaps rend the air,
baffled our foes,
stand on the shore,
follow they will not dare.

Though the waves leap
soft shall ye sleep,
Oceans a royal bed,
Rocked in the deep, flora will keep,
Watch by your weary head.

Manys the lad fought on the day,
Well the claymore did weild,
When the night came, silently lay,
Dead on Cullodens field

Burned are our homes, Exile and death,
Scatter the loyal men,
yet oer the sword, cool in the sheath,
Charlie will come again.

The Skye Boat Song tells of the escape of Charles Stuart, known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, to the Isle of Skye, after being defeated at the Battle of Culloden's Moor by the British. This morning we paid a quick visit to that historic battlefield, on our way from the Strathspey region of the eastern Highlands, escaping across to the Isle of Skye ourselves. En route, we also stopped off to visit a small lake you may have heard of called Loch Ness. The only monster spotted was the storm that ushered us in, but left us as we drove along the banks.

The western Highlands, and what we've seen of Skye (which is very little so far--we're staying tonight in Kyleakin, just across the bridge from the mainland) are absolutely stunning.

Getting back on topic for a moment, the Skye Boat Song has a bit of personal significance to me as well. Several years ago, while sailing on Lake Huron with my dad, we came into the town of Kincardine, Ontario, which has a very strong Scottish heritage. One of their several local traditions is a piper playing at sunset from the top of the lighthouse near the harbor entrance every evening in the summer.

That evening, he spotted us coming in to the harbor and held off until we'd made the final turn into the harbor, before piping us right into the marina to the slow, beautiful tune of the Skye Boat Song. It was just one of those moments that was "perfect".

I might also add that the other end of the story, the battle of Cullodens Moor, was also told in the song "Sound the Piobroch", performed by Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy in their live concert recording, yet another personal favorite.