Annotation:Garthland
X:2 T:Garthland's Strathspey M:C L:1/8 R:Strathspey S:Gow - Second Collection of Strathspey Reels (1788) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:G D|G2 BG B<d g2|G2 {c}BA/G/ FAAB|G2 BG B<d g2|c<A {c}BA/G/ DGG:| d/c/|Bddg {b}ag/f/ Tg2|B<G d>G FA Ad/c/|Bddg {b}ag/f/ Tg2|cA de/c/ B(G G)d/c/| Bddg {b}ag/f/ g>c|B<G d>G F(A A)B/c/|{e}d>cBA .B(G.F>E)|FD de/c/ BGG||
GARTHLAND. AKA - "Garland House (The)," "Garthland's Strathspey." Scottish, Strathspey; English & Irish, Reel. England, North-West. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Cole, Knowles, Skye): AAB (Athole, Campbell, Davie, Gow, Hunter, Lowe): AABB' (Kerr). Composed by James MacDonald, a contemporary of Niel Gow (1724-1807) who earned his living playing and composing. The present seat of the MacDowall clan is at Barr Castle, Garthland, Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire, Scotland, and the caput baroniae is at Garthland Mains on the Rhinns of Galloway. Garthland Castle (1211) was located at Garthland Mains near Stranraer, Wigtownshire, Scotland, and was once the seat of the M'Doualls, Lords of Galloway. The remains of the 45 foot high tower were demolished in 1840.
The melody also appears in the 1840 music manuscript collection of Cumbrian musician John Rook, and, as an untitled reel in the large turn-of-the-19th-century music manuscript collection of John Buttery, a fifer with the 37th Regiment (North Hampshire). It was also entered into Book 2 of the large c. 1883 music manuscript collection of County Leitrim fiddler and piper biography:Stephen Grier as "The Garland House."
