I’ve heard that one of the most beautiful sights in Scotland is the woods carpeted with bluebells in the Spring. The Scottish breed of bluebells, also known as “Harebells,” crop up every year throughout Scotland in April and May, so if you plan on going there in the next month or so you should see if you can find them. The featured image for this blog post was taken in the woods at Arrochymore on Loch Lomond and shows the incredibly thick carpeting of bluebells that burst to life each Spring.

Speaking of springtime, new life, and beautiful flowers, my wife and I found out some exciting news today the baby we’re expecting is going to be a girl! It’s our second child and first daughter and we couldn’t be happier.

The Bluebells of Scotland

I was originally planning on doing a different tune this week, but I got a couple of recent requests for “The Bluebells of Scotland,” plus I saw some bluebells blooming on a local hike, so I decided to go for this tune instead to give me an excuse to make a fun video of the beautiful flowers before they’re all gone.

Lyrics to The Bluebells of Scotland

The popular Scottish folk song known as “The Bluebells of Scotland” was written in 1801 by Dora Jordan, an English actress, and writer. There are actually a few different versions of the lyrics that go along with this tune. Here are two different variations:

O where and O where does your highland laddie dwell;
O where and O where does your highland laddie dwell;
He dwells in merry Scotland where the bluebells sweetly smell,
And all in my heart I love my laddie well

It is thought to have been adapted later to include references to George III and the Napoleonic wars:

Oh, where, and oh, where is my highland laddie gone,
Oh, where, and oh, where is my highland laddie gone,
He’s gone to fight the French, for King George upon the throne,
And it’s oh in my heart I wish him safe at home

Sheet Music and Tutorial

If you have already enrolled in the Bagpipe Master course, here’s the link to check out the full step-by-step tutorial and download the sheet music:

Access Sheet Music & Tutorial

_{Cover image by Darrin Scott Frew}