MacPherson's Rant - The Story Behind The Ballad

EARLY LIFE

MacPherson was the illegitimate son of a Highland laird, MacPherson of Invereshie, and a beautiful Tinker or gypsy[clarification needed] girl that he met at a wedding. The gentleman acknowledged the child, and had him reared in his house. After the death of his father, who was killed while attempting to recover a "spread" of cattle taken from Badenoch by reivers - the boy was reclaimed by his mother's people. The gypsy woman frequently returned with him, to wait upon his relations and clansmen, who never failed to clothe him well, besides giving money to his mother. He grew up “in beauty, strength and stature rarely equaled.” MacPherson is reported as being a man of uncommon personal strength. He became an expert swordsman, and a renowned fiddler, and eventually became the leader of the gypsy band. The tinker-Gypsies then lived by buying and selling horses and seem to have been quite popular with the ordinary country folk.

OUTLAW CAREER

Though his prowess was debased as the exploits of a freebooter (pirate), it is certain, says one writer, that no act of cruelty, or robbery of the widow, the fatherless, or the distressed was ever perpetrated under his command. Indeed, it is alleged that a dispute with an aspiring and savage man of his tribe, who wished to rob a gentleman's house while his wife and two children lay on the bier for interment, was the cause of his being betrayed to the vengeance of the law. Thus he was betrayed by a man of his own tribe, and was the last person executed at Banff previous to the abolition of heritable jurisdictions.
MacPherson had incurred the enmity of the rich lairds and farmers of the low country of Banff and Aberdeenshire, and especially of Duff of Braco, who organized a posse to catch him. "After holding the counties of Aberdeen, Banff, and Moray in fear for some years", says Chambers, "he was seized by Duff of Braco, ancestor of the Earl of Fife, and tried before the Sheriff of Banffshire (8 November 1700), along with certain Gypsies who had been taken in his company.
Before ultimately being brought to trial, MacPherson was captured several times but always escaped from his enemies. In Aberdeen, his cousin, Donald, and a gypsy named Peter Brown, aided by the populace, rescued him from prison. Shortly afterwards, he was again captured, but was once more rescued, this time by the Laird of Grant.


CAPTURE AND TRIAL

MacPherson's career of robbery had culminated in a “reign of terror” in the markets of Banff, Elgin and Forres. Apparently under protection of the Laird of Grant, he and his band of followers would come marching in with a piper at their head. Perhaps he became too powerful for comfort for he was hanged at Banff in 1700, for bearing arms at Keith market. At the Saint Rufus Fair in Keith MacPherson was attacked by Braco's men, and was captured after a fierce fight in which one of Jamie's crew was killed. According to the traditional account penned by Jamie himself, a woman dropped a blanket over him from a window, and he was disarmed before he could get free of it. Duff and a very strong escort then took him to Banff prison.
It was still at that time a criminal offence merely to be an Egyptian (Gypsy) in Scotland, and it was under this statute that MacPherson was tried in November 1700. MacPherson and three others were brought to trial at Banff before Sheriff Nicholas Dunbar, Sheriff of Banffshire (who allegedly was a close friend of Duff's), on November 8, 1700, accused of: "Being ye mercats in yr ordinary manner of thieving and purse-cutting, or of the crimes of theft and masterful bangstree and oppression", and they were found "Fyllen, culpable, and convick" and sentenced "For sae muckle, as you, James MacPherson, are found guilty of being Egyptians and vagabonds and oppressors of his free lieges. Therefore, I adjudge and decern you to be taken to the cross of Banff to be hanged by the neck to the death".
The actual procès-verbal of his trial is still extant; the following is the text of the death sentence:
"Forasmeikle as you James McPherson, pannal [accused] are found guilty by ane verdict of ane assyse, to be knoun, holden, and repute to be Egiptian and a wagabond, and oppressor of his Magesties free lieges in ane bangstrie manner, and going up and down the country armed, and keeping mercats in ane hostile manner, and that you are a thief, and that you are of pessimae famae. Therfor, the Sheriff-depute of Banff, and I in his name, adjudges and discernes you the said James McPherson to be taken to the Cross of Banff, from the tolbooth thereof, where you now lye, and there upon ane gibbet to be erected, to be hanged by the neck to the death by the hand of the common executioner, upon Friday next, being the 16th day of November instant, being a public weekly mercat day, betwixt the hours of two and three in the afternoon....”

MACPHERSON'S RANT

While under sentence of death in the jail, during the week between his trial and his execution, MacPherson is said to have composed the tune and the song now known as MacPherson’s Lament or MacPherson’s Rant. Sir Walter Scott says that MacPherson played it under the gallows, and, after playing the tune, he then offered his fiddle to anyone in his clan who would play it at his wake. When no one came forward to take the fiddle, he broke it - either across his knee or over the executioner's head – and then threw it into the crowd with the remark, "No one else shall play Jamie MacPherson's fiddle". The broken fiddle now lies in the MacPherson Clan museum near Newtonmore, Inverness-shire. He then was hanged or, according to some accounts, threw himself from the ladder, to hang by his own will. This was allegedly the last capital sentence executed in Scotland under Heritable Jurisdiction, taking place on 16 November 1700.
The traditional accounts of MacPherson's immense prowess seem justified by his sword, which is still preserved in Duff House, at Banff, and is an implement of great length and weight - as well as by his bones, which were found not very many years ago, and were allowed by all who saw them to be much stronger than the bones of ordinary men.[1] He was assuredly no ordinary man, that he could so disport himself on the morning of his execution.
It is universally believed in the North-East of Scotland that a reprieve was on its way to Banff at the time of the execution. The legend has it that Duff of Braco saw a lone rider coming from Turriff and correctly assumed that he carried a pardon for Jamie from the Lord of Grant. As the story goes, he then set about turning the village clock 15 minutes ahead and so hanging MacPherson before the pardon arrived. The magistrates allegedly were punished for this and the town clock was kept 15 minutes before the correct time for many years. Even to this day it is reported that the town of Macduff has its west-facing town clock covered so the people of Banff can't see the correct time!

Lies, damn lies and statistics . . . never-the-less it is interesting to note where our blog readers come from

BUS TIMES- Aberlour Dufftown Rothes Elgin

We are often asked the best way to travel from Norlaggan to the various distilleries and other interesting places using public transport. I've copied below the latest local bus timetable. Buses leave from just outside Norlaggan going to Craigellachie (Macallan, Distillery, Highlander Inn, Quich Bar at Craigellachie Distillery, Speyside Cooperage) Dufftown (Glenfiddich, The Whisky Shop, Balvenie Distillery, Morlach Distillery) Rothes (glen Grant Distillery and Gardens) and Elgin (Glen Moray Distillery, Gordon & Macphail Whisky Shop)

CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE FULL SIZE IN NEW WINDOW

25 Interesting Facts About Scotland

No. 001
Did You Know - it is against the law to buy or sell cigarettes or any tobacco product in the City Of Glasgow between the hours of 6pm and 6am. This dates back to a bylaw during the days when Glasgow was the centre of the Scottish Tobacco Trade. In order to restrict "dodgy deals" the City Fathers declared during which hours tobacco could be traded (6am and 6pm) and made any trade in tabacco products outwith these hours illegal with a maximum penalty of 2 years in jail. The law was never repealed

No. 002
Edinburgh was the first city in the world to have its own Fire Brigade

No. 003
Scotland is a Protestant dominant country. Despite this fact, Scotland’s Catholic Church has the greatest number of observed Saints days in the world

No. 004
The current value of the banknotes of Scotland in circulation is £1.5 billion

No. 005
The official animal of Scotland is the Unicorn

No. 006
Scotland lost the greatest number of soldiers per head of population in World War 

No.007
As per the census conducted in 1909, the Scots were the tallest race in Europe. But due to the World War I, the average height of the men in Scotland fell by 9 inches in 1930

No. 008
English is the official language of Scotland. Only about 1.5% of the entire population speak Gaelic with less than 1% able to read and write Gaelic

No. 009
Scotland has over 790 islands; less than a quarter of them are populated

No. 010
Scotland's area is 78,772 km. It is the 112th largest country in the world by size

No. 011
In Scotland attending school was made compulsory in 1496 and was controlled by the church until 1872

No. 012
The largest loch in area is Loch Lomond; Loch Ness is larger in volume

No. 013
The average temperature in July is 15 degrees Celsius; in January it is 3 degrees Celsius

No. 014
Nemo me impune lacessit is the Latin motto of the Order of the Thistle - - or rendered in Scots as Wha daur meddle wi' me? - or in English ""No one provokes me with impunity"

No. 015
The 10 most common surnames in scotland are, smith, brown, Wilson, Stewart, Thomson, Campbell, Robertson, Anderson, Scott and MacDonald

No. 016
And the highest temperature in scotland was 32.9 degrees Celsius and was recorded in 2003

No. 017
Scotlands longest River, the River Tay flows for 190 kilometres

No. 018
Edinburgh, like Rome, was built in 7 hills

No. 019
Television, telephone, pneumatic tyre,  video cassette recorder, finger printing, golf, tarmacadam, ATM Machine, Fax Machine and penicillin were all Scottish innovations (to name but a few)

No. 020
Scottish territorial coastline adds up to 6189 miles in length

No. 021
English football team Berwick Rangers actually plays in the Scottish League. The only English team to do so

No. 022
The Forth Rail Bridge took 8 years to build. Contains 55,000 tons of steel, 650,000 cubic feet of granite, 8 million rivets, 150 acres of paint. Stands 361 feet, or about the height of a Saturn V rocket that took man to the Moon. During warm weather it expands about 18 inches at both ends, a total of 3 feet. At peak of construction over 4500 folk were employed

No. 023
Scotland has over 300 Castles, or one per every 100 square miles

No. 024
Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland has a population of 430,082 but Glasgow has a population of 629,501

No. 025
Scotland is approx 275 miles (440km) long. 25 miles (40km) wide at it's narrowest between the River Clyde and River Forth. 155 miles (250km) wide between it's furthest point

Aberlour Distillery - Visit By Alfred Barnard 1887 - part 1

Many of our guests at Norlaggan visit the Aberlour Distillery located just a few hundred yards from the house (and a pleasant walk along the River Spey to the mouth of the Lour Burn and then a short distance to the Distillery gatehouse and visitors center.

But there is nothing new about people visiting Aberlour Distillery. Here is a fascinating (and detailed) account by one visitor in 1887.

Aberlour Distillery still welcomes guests on its Warehouse 1 and Founders tours. If you are planning a visit to Speyside a visit to this world renowned distillery is a must, and where better to stay than Norlaggan - Aberlour's only Visit Scotland Quality Assured Bed and Breakfast (to book online go to www.norlaggan.co.uk or telephone +44 (0)1340 871270

You can read Barnard's reports on all the distilleries he visited (all 131 of them) at http://bit.ly/KhxPT7

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From ’The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom’

by Alfred Barnard, 1887

WE left Elgin by the night train for Keith, where we found excellent quarters at the Gordon Arms, one of those rare old-fashioned hostelries, which are fast passing away.

Mr. Barclay, the jolly landlord, received us on our arrival, and made us exceedingly comfortable, during our fortnight’s sojourn at his house.

The next morning we again entered the train, this time bound for beautiful Craigellachie.

From Keith the track strikes off abruptly to the left, alongside the river Isla, into a picturesque country of woods and stream, where the undulations of the ground have necessitated short tunnels and deep cuttings. We had here at intervals such pictures of rocky ridges, wooded plantations, miniature waterfalls, river and mountain, that it all seemed like magic, and when we finally emerged from the last intersection, suddenly found ourselves at our destination.

Craigellachie is a good hiring station, and it is well for travellers to know this, otherwise they may have to retrace their steps for many a long mile before they can procure a horse and vehicle; so few of these railway stations in the Highlands possess hiring accommodation.

On our arrival we secured a stout horse and trap from Charlie Stuart, the proprietor of the hiring establishment, who personally coached us to Aberlour. It was a lovely day, and we started off in high spirits. After passing through the village of Craigellachie, we came in sight of the magnificent iron bridge, which crosses the Spey, near its junction with the Fiddich River. The bridge springs from a rock on the western side of the Spey, and is of 100 feet span.

The road of access to the bridge is most picturesque, being cut out of the face of the solid rock, amid scattered firs of the impending mountain. For two miles the course of the river is very beautiful, and in some parts the road overhangs the boiling stream. We were quite sorry to diverge from this path, but we had come to our journey’s end, for on our left, hidden among the trees, lay the Distillery, the object of our visit.

Aberlour is a charming village, at the root of Benrinnes. This grand mountain is 2,765 feet above the level of the sea, and from its summit ten counties, from Caithness to Perth, are visible. On the east shoulder there is a spring, which develops into a small pond, and near it, we were shown a cave which James an Tuam, or James of the Hill, a noted freebooter, made one of his coverts. The water from this receptacle runs down the mountain side, and, before reaching Aberlour, forms a beautiful cascade, called the Lynn of Ruthrie. It has a fall of 30 feet, broken in its descent by a projecting rock, and is received into a gloomy pool below. Above the fall the rocks are covered with trees, which reverberate the sound of the water, and greatly contribute to the interest of the scene. The Burn from the pool is now called the Lour, and runs rapidly to the Spey. The Spey is, in volume of water and extent of basin drained by it, the second river in Scotland. It rises in Badenoch, about six miles from Loch Laggan, and flows for about 100 miles. After flowing for about a mile from the source it expands into Loch Spey, after leaving which it flows eastward to the sea, receiving in its progress the Marky, the Calder, and a number of smaller streams. It takes rank, as a salmon river, next to the Tay and the Tweed.

The Aberlour-Glenlivet Distillery, distant about a quarter of a mile below the waterfall,

is built on the banks of the Lour, about 300 yards from its confluence with the noble river Spey, which here rushes northwards to the Moray Firth, and a like distance from the Aberlour Station of the Great North of Scotland Railway.

The work, a perfect model Distillery, was rebuilt in the year 1880, and covers two acres of ground. It consists of a triangular block of stone buildings, of neat appearance, and conveniently arranged for the various processes of distillation

.

Our guide, Mr. R. Gauld, the Brewer, first took us to the Malt Barn, a handsome building,

121 feet long and 40 feet deep, at the end which are two concrete Steeps, capable of wetting 70 quarters of Barley at one time.

Ascending a stone stair we came to two Grain Lofts, one above the other, capable of holding together 3,000 quarters of barley. At the angle of this building is the Kiln, measuring 25 feet square and floored with wire cloth. It is heated by peat in open chauffeurs. A doorway from the floor of this building lead us down 10 feet to the Malt Deposit, below which, at a depth of 13 feet, is the Mill Room, containing a pair of Malt Rollers, driven by water. This apartment is 30 feet square and 13 feet high. The malt is passed to the Mill through a hatch in the floor, to a hopper over the cylinders, which pulverize the malt. After being ground, the grist passes into another hopper over the Mash Tun in the room below.

Continue >>>>>

Aberlour Distillery - Visit By Alfred Barnard 1887 part 2

The Mash and Still Houses are about 50 feet long by 30 feet broad, and contain an iron Mash-tun, 12 feet in diameter and 4 feet deep, possessing the usual stirring gear. On passing through the hopper referred to, the ground malt falls into the Steel’s Mashing Machine, which mixes it thoroughly with the hot water before it falls into the Tun below. The wash is cooled by being pumped up through a pipe 200 feet long, which is immersed in the Worm Tank, which is the only Cooler. We then ascended a staircase to a lofty apartment, called the Tun Room, over the Mash House, where the floor is concreted, and which contains five Washbacks, each holding 4,000 gallons. The liquid, after fermentation, runs by gravitation into the Wash Charger and from it to the Wash Still, which has a capacity of 1,600 gallons, thence into the Low-wines and Feints receiver, from whence the immature spirit runs by gravitation into the Spirit Still, holding 1,200 gallons, and after that process it runs as a pure spirit through the Safe into the Spirit Receiver. All these latter vessels are in the upper flat of the Still House, and both Stills are of the old Pot kind.

The plan of the cooling is novel.

The Worm Tank is formed of concrete, 50 feet long by 6 feet wide and 3 feet deep, divided by a partition along the centre, a continuous body of water capable of, and used for, turning two wheels, rushes along the one side and back the other, over the worms, proving the simplest and most effectual condensing method we have met with.

The lower flat of the Still House is sunk 10 feet on the side opposite the Copper and Stills, so that the coals are emptied from the cart through a shoot and landed beside the furnaces without any further labour; here there is accommodation for holding 50 tons of coal.

The next compartment is the Spirit Store, where there is a Vat containing 1,750 gallons, which receives the spirit from the Stills. Here the Whisky is casked, branded, and sent into the Bonded Warehouses, two in number, roofed with corrugated iron, and built with stone. One of these Warehouses is of three spans, each 40 feet wide and 100 feet long. The other is a two-decker, 80 feet by 40 feet, and there were 2,000 casks of Whisky of various ages stored in these Warehouses.

There is no steam power in this Distillery, the continuous flow of water being sufficient to drive all the machinery, which includes grinding, mashing, elevating, steering, and pumping. Several industries are carried on. We visited one or two of them, notably the Cooperage and Cask Sheds, spacious buildings, neatly arranged and possessing the necessary appliances for sweetening and repairing. Adjoining is the carpenter shop and smithy, and across the yard the stables and cart sheds. Near the entrance there is a small office for the Distiller, and another for the Excise. The Manager resides in a neat house adjoining the barns.

The Whisky is pure Highland Malt, and the annual output is 80,000 gallons, which is sold principally in England and Scotland.

The chief Excise officer is Mr. F. J. Ivinson.

Audio Guides To North East Scotland

If you are planning a trip to the North East of Scotland (perhaps for the whisky trail) these tracks are ideal for playing in the car between stops. This was originally a single track audio tour but I've divided it up into single tracks in case you only want some.


I recorded then on to CDs and keep a copy in our "Guest Information" folders in each room. Many of our guests have said how much the enjoyed listening to it as the toured around

Simply click on PLAY to hear them or ig you want to download to your own computer  right click on PLAY and select "save target" (or similiar depending on browser)

 Forres PLAY
Kinloss PLAY
Covesea & Lossiemouth PLAY
Elgin PLAY
Cullen & Fordyce PLAY
Portsoy PLAY
Whitehills PLAY
Banff PLAY
Macduff PLAY
Gardenstown PLAY
Rosehearty PLAY
Fraserburgh PLAY
Lomnay, St Combs and Rattray PLAY
Peterhead & Boddam PLAY
Cruden Bay PLAY
Deer PLAY
Turrif PLAY
Huntly PLAY
Ryhnie & Oyne PLAY
Craigelliechie PLAY
Dufftown PLAY

Whisky Trivia

Came Across This Whisky Quiz - Why not have a go!


1. What are the four categories of Scotch?

2. Scotch is matured in casks made of what kind of wood?

3. What is the minimum amount of time Scotch must age in the cask?

4. What is the primary grain that Scotch is made from?

5. The descriptors single or blended refer to what?

6. In 1831 what major change to Scotch took place?

7. Why did the knowledge of distilling begin to spread in the 16th Century?

8. What is the Angel's Share?

9. What is the average normal capacity of a hogshead whisky cask?

10. What is Scotch called until it fully matures?

11. What Gaelic term is the origin of the word whisky?

12. In addition to production techniques and ingredients, what etymological difference separates the American and Scottish liquors?

13. Approximately how many brands of Scotch are sold world wide?

14. In 2005 how many cases of Scotch were sold?

15. Scotch is what percent of the United Kingdom's food & drink exports?

16. What Country is the #1 market for Scotch in dollar terms?

17. What Country is the #1 market for Scotch in volume?

18. When did the UK government first establish a legal definition for Scotch?

19. How many Scotch distilleries are there in Scotland.

20. True or False, Scotch Whisky matures and improves in the bottle.

Another Bottle Won By Guest At Norlaggan

CONGRATULATIONS to Jon Vignisson a recent guest at Norlaggan who won a bottle of fine Malt Whisky from the Aberlour Distillery. All our guests who do a tour at the Aberlour are entered into a free draw for a bottle of Aberlour 10yr - enyoy your dram Jon . . and have one for Ros & Ken

Walking In Cromdale (podcast from BBC)

Cromdale is a short car journey from Norlaggan. This podcast from the BBC Scotland's "Out Of Doors" programme is a good guide on what to expect when walking in the Cromdale Hills

Walking From Norlaggan To Macallan Distillery

As the crows flies, Macallan Distillery is less than a mile from Norlaggan. Unfortunately the River Spey lies between the two. Nevertheless by heading upstream and crossing the river at the Victoria Bridge and going along the North bank of the River it is an easy walk from the house to The Macallan (2.06 miles)

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

You can then either return by the same route or, as an alternative, walk down the road to Craigellachie and enjoy lunch (or a dram) at the Highlander Inn before returning to Norlaggan along the Speyside Way. If You would like information on other walks and distilleries close to Norlaggan just email

Keith Heritage Walks Including Strathisla Distillery

If you are planning a trip to the North East Of Scotland the town of Keith is well worth a visit (not least for Strathisla Distillery. Keith Heritage Trust have produced a series of five leaflets of walk round and about the town (one of which includes the Strathisla). the leaflets can be picked up for free from local tourist board, the Kieth Heritage Museum at the Town Railway Station if if you prefer you can download them in pdf format from http://bit.ly/KlkOZd

Spirit Of Speyside Whisky Festival 2013

The Spirit Of Speyside Whisky Festival 2012 has now past but already plans are in hand for the 2013 Festival. Although the program of events won't be publised on www.spiritofspeyside.com until early 2013 we are already getting enquiries for accommodation. If you are planning to visit Speyside for the 2013 Festival you would be recommended to book early.

As well as the 3 rooms at Norlaggan (each with a double bed, single bed and option fold-down bed) we also have rooms at www.3onhigh.com (family room, twin room and double room)

We have still to fix our rates for 2013 but expect to pay around £35 per person per night at Norlaggan and £40 per night per person at 3onhigh.

Online booking won't be available until later in the year but you can book in advance by telephoning +44 (0)1340 871270