Tour Scotland Video Loch Tay Boat Song Perth Perthshire

Tour Scotland video of the Loch Tay Boat being sung in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland. A group called the Odd Alliance singing today in St Ninian's Cathedral in Perth. Not great acoustics for solo singers, in such a large space, but these folks did really well.

All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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The Loch Tay Boat Song

When I've done the work of day
And I row my boat away
Down the waters of Loch Tay
When the evening light is falling
Then I look towards Ben Lawers
Where the after glories glow
And I dream on two bright eyes
With a merry mouth below

She's my beauteous nighean ruadh
She's my joy and sorrow too
Though I own she is not true
Ah, but I cannot live without her
For my heart's a boat in tow
And I'd give the world to know
If she means to let me go
As I sing hori horo

Nighean ruadh, your lovely hair
Has more beauty I declare
Than all the tresses fair
From Killin to Aberfeldy
Be they lint-white, gold or brown
Be they blacker than the sloe
They mean not as much to me
As a melting flake of snow

And her dance is like the gleam
Of the sunlight on the stream
And the songs the wee folk sing
They're the songs she sings at milking
But my heart is full of woe
For last night she bade me go
And the tears begin to flow
As I sing hori horo

When I've done the work of day
And I row my boat away
Down the waters of Loch Tay
When the evening light is falling
Then I look towards Ben Lawers
Where the after glories glow
And I dream on two bright eyes
With a merry mouth below

She's my beauteous nighean ruadh
She's my joy and sorrow too
Though I own she is not true
Ah, but I cannot live without her
For my heart's a boat in tow
And I'd give the world to know
If she means to let me go
As I sing hori horo

The Gaelic words "nighean ruadh" mean "red-haired girl".

"Hori horo" are used by the Scots to indicate sorrow.