"Scotland the Brave" (Scottish Gaelic: Alba an Aigh) is a patriotic song and one of the main contenders to be considered as a national anthem of Scotland. In June 2006, the song came second to Flower of Scotland in an online poll with more than 10,000 votes to determine the nation's favourite unofficial "anthem".^[1] The song is used to represent Scotland in the Commonwealth Games.^[2] Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ... There is no official national anthem of Scotland[1]. However, there is a complex and on-going social and political dispute amongst many contenders for the title of the nations de jure song, which has polarised much of the public. ... The Scotland rugby team lines up for the national anthem Flower of Scotland (Flùr na h-Alba in Gaelic) is an unofficial national anthem of Scotland, a role for which it competes against the older Scotland the Brave. ... This article is about the country. ... Current flag of the Commonwealth Games Federation Locations of the games, and participating countries Commonwealth Games Federation seal, adopted in 2001 The Commonwealth Games is a multinational, multi-sport event. ...

Scotland the Brave is also the authorised pipe band march of The British Columbia Dragoons of the Canadian Forces and is played during the Pass in Review at Friday parades at The Citadel. In 2006, it was adopted as the regimental quick march of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. "Scotland the Brave" has now become a stage show which is touring the world in 2007 visiting Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The show features a selection of Scottish music, song and dance with over 100 performers on stage.^[3] The Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, winner of 4 World Pipe Band Championships in the past decade, in competition at the 2005 Bellingham Highland Games A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. ... A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. ... The British Columbia Dragoons is a reserve armoured regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces. ... The Canadian Forces (CF) (French: Forces canadiennes (FC)) are the unified armed forces of Canada, governed by the National Defence Act, which states: The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces. ... The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, is a state-supported, comprehensive college located in Charleston, South Carolina. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Royal Regiment of Scotland is the senior and only Scottish line infantry regiment of the British Army Infantry. ...

The Latter Day Saint hymn "Praise to the Man" by W. W. Phelps is also sung to "Scotland the Brave."^[4] A Latter Day Saint is an adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement, a group of denominations tracing their heritage to the teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Praise to the Man (originally Joseph Smith) was a poem or a hymn written as a tribute to Joseph Smith, Jr. ... William Wines Phelps (also W.W. Phelps, and William W. Phelps) (February 17, 1792–March 7, 1872) was an important early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement. ...

Lyrics

The tune seems to have first appeared around the turn of the 20th century^[5], and was already sometimes known as "Scotland the Brave". However the lyrics were written around 1950 by the Scottish journalist Cliff Hanley for the singer Robert Wilson. For other uses, see Journalist (disambiguation). ... Clifford Leonard Clark Hanley (October 28, 1922 - 1999) was a journalist, novelist, playwright and broadcaster from Glasgow in Scotland. ... Robert Wilson may refer to: Rob Wilson MP for Reading East Sir Robert Wilson (astronomer), a British astronomer Sir Robert Wilson (businessman), chairman of BG Group Sir Robert Thomas Wilson, a British general and politician Robert L. Wilson (1920-1944), U.S. Marine, Medal of Honor recipient, killed in action...

"Scotland the Brave" by Cliff Hanley

Hark when the night is falling
Hark! hear the pipes are calling,
Loudly and proudly calling,
Down through the glen.
There where the hills are sleeping,
Now feel the blood a-leaping,
High as the spirits of the old Highland men.

Chorus
Towering in gallant fame,
Scotland my mountain hame,
High may your proud standards gloriously wave,
Land of my high endeavour,
Land of the shining river,
Land of my heart for ever, Scotland the brave.

High in the misty Highlands,
Out by the purple islands,
Brave are the hearts that beat beneath Scottish skies.
Wild are the winds to meet you,
Staunch are the friends that greet you,
Kind as the love that shines from fair maidens' eyes.

Chorus

Far off in sunlit places,
Sad are the Scottish faces,
Yearning to feel the kiss
Of sweet Scottish rain.
Where tropic skies are beaming,
Love sets the heart a-dreaming,
Longing and dreaming for the homeland again.

Chorus

There is also an alternate set of lyrics by John McDermott 'Scotland Forever,' sung to the same tune:

Let Italy boast of her gay gilded waters,
Her vines and her bowers and her soft sunny skies,
Her sons drinking love from the eyes of her daughters,
Where freedom expires amid softness and sighs.

Scotland's blue mountains wild where hoary cliffs are piled,
Towering in grandeur are dearer tae me,
Land of the misty cloud land of the tempest loud,
Land of the brave and proud land of the free.

Enthroned on the peak of her own highland mountains,
The spirit of Scotia reigns fearless and free,
Her green tartan waving o'er blue rock and fountain,
And proudly she sings looking over the sea.

Here among my mountains wild I have serenely smiled,
When armies and empires against me were hurled,
Firm as my native rock I have withstood the shock,
Of England, of Denmark, or Rome and the world.

But see how proudly her war steeds are prancing,
Deep groves of steel trodden down in their path,
The eyes of my sons like their bright swords are glancing,
Triumphantly riding through ruin and death.

Bold hearts and nodding plumes wave o'er their bloody tombs,
Deepeyed in gore is the green tartan's wave,
Shivering are the ranks of steel dire is the horseman's wheel,
Victorious in battlefield Scotland the brave.

Bold hearts and nodding plumes wave o'er their bloody tombs,
Deepeyed in gore is the green tartan's wave,
Shivering are the ranks of steel dire is the horseman's wheel,
Victorious in battlefield Scotland the brave,
Victorious in battlefield Scotland the brave.

There is also another set of lyrics known as 'My Bonnie Lassie':

Drums in my heart are drummin,
I hear the bagpipes hummin,
My Bonnie Lassie's comin over the sea.
My heart with her she's bringin,
I hear the blue bells ringin,
Soon we'll be highland flingin,
My love and me.

Chorus:
I'll meet her at the shore,
Playin the pipes for her,
Dressed in a kilt and a tam o'shanter too.
Drums in my heart are drummin,
I hear the bagpipes hummin,
My Bonnie Lassie's comin, comin to me,

Somewhere a ship and crew,
Sails o'er the ocean blue,
Bringing, oh, bringing,
My bonnie back to me.
That's why the drums are drummin,
That's why the pipes are hummin,
My Bonnie Lassie's comin, comin to me.

Chorus

Sad are the lads she's leavin,
Many a sigh they're heavin,
Even the heather's grievin, cryin with dew.
She's left her native highland,
To come and live in my land,
She'll love the folks who smile,
And say, "how-we-do".

Chorus

Notes

1. ^ The Royal Scottish National Orchestra - Stéphane Denève (Music Director) - The RSNO National Anthem Poll Winner
2. ^ BBC NEWS | Scotland | McConnell calls for anthem debate
3. ^ Scotland the Brave
4. ^ See "Praise to the Man", hymn #27 in Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
5. ^ The Fiddler's Companion

This article is about the named book (hymnal) specifically. ...

External links

• Lyrics and fiddle rendition with link to downloadable midi file
• Drums and Pipes
• lone piper
• The Canadian Tour
• The Touring Production Blog