Annotation:Source of Spey (The)
X:1 T: Source of the Spey (The) T: Madhair Spea S: Fraser - 1816 Collection M: C K: Emin B|G<E !trill!E2 G>A B<e|d<B!trill!B>A G>A B<e|G<E !trill!E2 G>A B<e|d<B!trill!B>^G A2 A:| B|e>f{ef}g>e d>e B<e|d<Bg>e d>e B<g|e>f{ef}g>e d<eB<g|d<B!trill!B>^G A2 AB| e>f{ef}g>e d>e B<e|d<Bg>e d>e B<g|e<Bg<B a<B{ga}b>g|g<e!trill!d>B {B}A2 A|]
SOURCE OF SPEY, THE ("Mathair Spe," "Madhair Spea" or "Meg Mhór Na Lurachan"). Scottish, Strathspey (whole time). E Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB (Athole, Fraser, Neil, Skye): AABB (Kerr). "This was acquired by the editor's grandfather from Lachlan MacPherson of Strathmashy, of whom mention has already been made. He lived near the source of Spey, and it has every chance of being his composition, as he was a genuine poet, and sung with taste and spirit" (Fraser). MacDonald, in his Skye Collection attributes the composition to MacPherson.
Neil (1991) says: "The strath (river valley) of Spey is one of the most characteristic longitudinal valleys of Scotland. It lies in a north east to south west direction and is bounded on its north and west sides by a ridge of hills." The 96 mile long Spey rises in Badenoch, some 16 miles south of Fort Augustus, and drains 1300 square miles of Scottish countryside.
