Annotation:Atholl Braes
X:1 T:Athol Braes M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel B:David Young – Drummond Castle/Duke of Perth Manuscript (1734, No. 4) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:A e|Tc2 (BA) (c/d/e) (f/g/a)|Tc>BAc B/B/B Be|Tc2 (BA) c/d/e f/g/a|E3c A/A/A A:| |:f/g/|aeca eaec|a/g/f/e/ ca Tg2 Bf/g/|aeca eaec|d/c/B/A/ Ec A/A/A A:| |:e|T(cA)T(cA) T(cA) (c/d/e)|T(cA) (c/d/e) (f/g/a) TB2|T(cA) (c/d/e) (f/g/a) (c/d/e)|E3c A/A/A A:| |:c|Aa (a/g/f/)e/ Aaca Tg2 Bf/g/|(a/g/f/)e/ ca eaec|d/c/B/A/ Ec A/A/A A:|]
ATHOLL BRAE(S). AKA and see "Braes of Athole (The)." Scottish, English; Country Dance Tune and Reel. A Major (Young): G Major (most versions). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCCDD.
The melody was printed in the Drummond Castle Manuscript (sometimes called Duke of Perth MS because it is inscribed "A Collection of Country Dances written for the use of his Grace the Duke of Perth by Dav. Young, 1734." Young also included "Athol Braes" in his MacFarlane Manuscript Book II (c. 1741, p. 234), although in a different key and slightly different setting. In the early 1970's the MS was in the possession of the Earl of Ancaster at Drummond Castle. Brendan Breathnach, in his Ceol Rince na hÉireann vol. II (1976, p. 250) gave "Atholl Braes" as an alternate title for "Pigeon on the Gate (1)" but it seems unrelated to his E dorian reel. The tune is not a version of the similar-sounding title "Athole Brose," a title with a different meaning as well.
