The Corries The Loch Tay Boat Song

[@margaretmackenzie7641]

My husband of 43 years passed in 2020. He went to his sleep listenting to this beautiful song.

[@PedroSeptim1]

Was the first song I sang my boy he’s 7 now and if I’m lucky enough to get to choose my last song it’ll be this one and I’ll think of my son and you and your husband.

[@jathe1st376]

What a beautiful way to go ❤️

[@rodsreel]

The day Roy passed on I drove my old ford cortina up to The Sidlaws near Dundee with my harmonica and sat on the bonnet and played a few Corries tunes till dusk shadows darkened. A real inspiration to many musicians and still dearly missed. I gig a local mountain bar and have a Corries Lp cover on the wall wi The Corries watching over my shoulder. Cheers to all The Corries fans out there.

[@antsholland757]

I salute you friend.

[@nbenefiel]

+rodsreel went into my room and closed the door and cried

[@mikeoconnor3024]

You have many fellow travellers. Go well ...

[@neildiamondo6445]

Only band that make me greet

[@rosebrown9265]

Awesome 👍

[@moraggrant9856]

It is 29 years today since Roy died (12/8/90) He may be gone but his musical genius and amazing voice will never be forgotten

[@ClivePattle]

Roy is sorely missed. A truly talented and gifted man who, along with Ronnie, gave pleasure to many. There music will be around for a long time.

[@thecatholiccrusader1168]

Roy williamson was by far the greatest folk musician to ever grace this planet he'll be forever remembered.

[@moraggrant9856]

Well said Roy's voice is magic I listen to the Corries every day. They brighten up my life. Happy memories from way back !!!!

[@murdochmclennan3510]

@@moraggrant9856 Again, I am terribly sorry for your losses; I am glad you have something to brighten your life.

[@murdochmclennan3510]

Morag Grant: I trust you are surviving both the virus and the midges!

[@gummbummper]

this version of this song always brings a tear to my eye and i must have heard it 100 times or more! It is just beautiful! :-) Proud to be Scottish!

[@shesjustababytalkes]

Me too xx

[@stevenbrown62]

I have some memories of listening to the Corrie's when I was a kid and my dad would play the music in the car from his cassette. 40 years later I have not listened to them since, so when this song came on my Spotify playlist while out on a long hike in my adopted home of Singapore it felt like I was hearing it for the first time. The music instantly transported back to my childhood on the Isle of Skye, especially with the Gaelic in the lyrics. By pure coincidence at that moment my walk took me past the former British military installation at Labrador Park where many Scottish soldiers would have been posted to defend an island 7,000km from their home. Suddenly I was hit with a wave of emotion I never though possible from a song and just started crying uncontrollably...and I don't mean a little tear welling in my eye, I mean full-on bawling my head off (thankfully noone around but the ghosts of the past). This song, the lyrics, the music (I learnt from the comments her that Roy invented the instrument he is playing) is now one of my favourites songs and I've been listening to it so often since (re)discovering it a couple of weeks ago. Absolute genius! It still makes me cry I type this from my hotel room in Doha.

[@Teddyb1939]

Master musician with a divine voice. Nic Jones,Luke Kelly and Roy all magical voices and Nic back singing, lovely stuff. RIP ROY and LUKE

[@janenorwood2979]

I was on holiday camping in Morar, had gone into Mallaig for a cup of coffee and a home baked scone in the Fisherman's Mission Cafe. The TV was playing and will never forget the sense of disbelief and deep sadness I felt when I heard on the news that Roy had passed away. Many a night on holiday in Morar spent crammed shoulder to shoulder in someone caravan after the pub threw us out having a sing song and songs like this from the Corries were very much high on the list of favourites.

[@vickystanley8853]

By far, the Cories sing this lovely song with the most tender sorrow of any one.

[@nialllee2695]

Two of the greatest ambassadors of Scottish music. Roy no words can express the contribution you made to our culture I will just finnish by saying O FLOWER OF SCOTLAND

[@johnypebs]

I remember when I learned of the loss of Roy, I hadn't even known he was ill. I'd just returned from a motorcycle run from Inverness to Ayr, just caught the late newsflash on tv as it was announced. I cried for a week.

[@adinacappell2494]

The lyrics are so beautiful. I just imagine a peaceful boat in the lake at night.

[@wallace500001]

Well, There, in that song, we have the essence of the brilliance of two Scottish people . Roy even made the instruments .

[@johnc485]

Your work is done Roy - I just wish you could have continued rowing your boat just a little while further down Loch Tay. Thanks for this

[@themacgregor15]

First heard Roy sing this haunting song as a boy in Oban so many years ago remember hearing of his death as i drove up Loch Lomondside sure it was 20 years ago what a voice and a traditional Scottish Folk singer who did so much to revive and remind us of that great heritage.RIP

[@kittycathiphop]

A great song to mourn a past love to... scottish blues at its best

[@ILUV74]

When the world goes too fast for me,and everywhere ,everybody tries to keep up with the latest things in life.Ihead for the hills with my peice and walkman[ it does me] and listen to this, and all is well with the world again.beautiful it really is.

[@carollizc]

I've heard a myriad of versions of this song, but never heard it done as soulfully or as beautifully as this.

[@allanmorton7678]

Every time I drive along the side of Loch Tay Ihear this song in my head and those evenings at home with my parents and sisters watching the Corries programme. In Black and White!!. Colour did not come into the equation, it was Roy singing in that resonant tone that got me.

[@stewartneilson9534]

We lost a great in 1991,RIP Roy Williamson

[@brucenorrie875]

1990, but hey I agree

[@lizzym1971]

@anniesgranny2 Definately the most beautiful voice Scotland has been blessed to have. Simply amazing. I'll never tire of hearing his wee voice. God bless you Roy xx

[@murdochmclennan3510]

lizziem1971: In another community forum you mention that you had met Roy several times and that he was 'the loveliest, sweetest man'. Your comments reassured me: He does not always look or act sweet in such videos as The Corries: A Life in Folk. His daughter Karen in her book about him says that he sometimes felt trapped by his fame; I can imagine that he did. The book in question is "'Flower of Scotland' Roy Williamson, My Father", available at www.corries.com, a website maintained by Ronnie Browne's son Gavin

[@ariel4kees]

Roy and Ronnie...my traveling companions through life....

[@edwardodonnell89]

Met you in 1979 at the Usher hall highlight of my musical life your hand was cold but your Heart was warm you shaped my music you are the master of Scottish music..

[@irishcottage]

What a perfectly beautiful song and performance. Such talent.

[@shesjustababytalkes]

So very soulful and beautiful. Thank you for sharing ❤️ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❤

[@LindsayCurran]

As with Dixie, and I am sure so many of us, I grew up listening to so many of these songs. To find them, and such a wealth of songs new to me, is deeply moving. Thank you!

[@sunnypiper]

I could listen to this everyday for the rest of my life, it's just bliss. Love it!!

[@williewilliamson1]

Roy has such a great voice wish I had the chance to see him live ;(

[@rover9214]

Wonnderfull music RIP lads your music will live forever

[@jimdalziel6226]

At the end it's as if he's rowing away into the fog...beautifully done.

[@djpeters5095]

I am entranced by the unique and unfamiliar (to me) beautiful musical instruments that these men possess and masterfully play their voices that blend so well in melody. I am truly carried away with the incredible sight and sound of them...

[@stewartneilson9534]

dj peters Instruments designed by Roy.

[@georgemackay5524]

Brilliant nobody else can sing perform it like this

[@shuggy4105]

We will. Scotland Will Flourish. We are more than capable of running our own affairs thank you very much.

[@karlhauxwell2784]

I have been a fan ,since 1976,and now I love runrig as much,

[@upyerkilt123]

thanks to these guys I am inspired even more to continue playing and learning more and more folk songs. this is my next one to learn.

[@craigdobbin3521]

Loved that much we have his song as our National Anthem

[@murdochmclennan3510]

Craig Dobbin: It is not yet the National Anthem; it is the unofficial National Anthem.

[@sjhume7584]

DONT LET US FORGET THE PURPOSE OF THESE SONGS MY COUNRTY MEN, IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY RIGHT AND TRUE, LET US FOLLOW THE PATH OF THESE PATRIOTS AND LEAD CALEDONIA FREE. MY FAMILY HAS A LONG HISTORY MY CLAN HAS BEEN TRUE. A HUME A HUME A HUME..............

[@Arbirlotman]

Definitely the finest of all Corries' songs!! Just so sad . . . !!

[@robertpamler5372]

RIP Roy Williamson, such a great voice and musician....

[@monkeyface6139]

What a loss to music and the Scottish nation. Great pairing but Williamson is stellar here. Saw them live one time, and thankful for it.

[@frankhurst1697]

No other song grabs me like this and one does it better.

[@encald]

Brilliant. Sad Roy's no longer with us.

[@TheMeleemonkey]

the rush starts at my feet, and ends just above my ears.

[@lidiaziolkowski3965]

Beautiful! Sung by Roy!

[@Arkybark]

What a poetic comment! Describes the mood perfectly.

[@robertpamler5372]

Roy Williamson what a grate man “RIP”.....

[@fionas365]

What great talent we have(or had) here in Scotland!

[@helenlizzystewart4908]

Still love their music especially when Roy sings

[@murdochmclennan3510]

Helen Lizzy Stewart: Ronnie has a better voice than Roy.

[@foggydew3614]

@@murdochmclennan3510 mate they had both great voices...I think that they were both fantastic

[@murdochmclennan3510]

@@foggydew3614 I suppose it depends on one's taste; Roy--according to his daughter Karen--smoked 40 cigarettes each day; it's a wonder to me that he sings as well as he does under those circumstances! Karen's book is "'Flower of Scotland': Roy Williamson, My Father", available from Amazon and also, perhaps at a lower price, from The Corries Website, maintained by Ronnie Browne's son Gavin: www.corries.com

[@idealflaw]

live from scotland vol 1. it is an amazing cassette - i agree.

[@zeph456]

This is such a beautiful song. Ill have to learn to play it myself

[@scottmcmanus6607]

the corries have been through my life through some good times and some sad times

[@marymcginlay7419]

wonderful makes me cry when ever I hear it beautiful

[@georgiebrownletsgo1137]

absolutely beautiful

[@liamnesswilson]

I get goosebumps every time I hear Roy sing! Amazing voice!

[@rossmcl177]

"She's my beauteous nighean ruadh" (nighean ruadh means 'red-haired girl')

[@jacobsgranddaughter]

Beautiful!❤️

[@borderstrains7985]

Never delete this video

[@TheKellyLlama]

Such a beautiful voice xx

[@marygleeson9877]

Beautiful

[@evilscotsman1]

gr8 song to fall asleep to:)goodnight

[@charliebhoys]

just so beautiful

[@bluesoulady]

so beautiful.....

[@slatemastersroofing7235]

I have a beautiful red headed girl ,my lovely daughter also a beautiful red headed granddaughter...

[@borlani]

(sighs) damn fine musicians. Apparently they made their own instruments like these twin necked jobs "Combolins" is it? ok... which had "Sympathy strings" (like Sitars I was told) Seemingly they had a working repertoire of over 800 songs and the two of them wandered about in van fishing together. I was fortunate to see them live on one occasion, wish it had been more. Great fun, corny good-humoured.The kind of guys to get snowed in with in a remote pub.

[@murdochmclennan3510]

Ian Borland: Belatedly, I shall observe that Roy invented the Combolins and either constructed or helped to construct them. Each one has three necks, not two!

[@Maksimfan]

They're called combolins, Roy Williamson (on the right) designed them especialy for The Corries, after he died the only two in existance were passed on to his friend Dave who made them.

[@MrJacobite123]

i love this man

[@grahamdonachie6298]

The day he died....I cried and phoned my sis in Ipswich...tears....

[@Thaulopi]

+graham donachie He may be dead, but I can see him ofttimes wandering the hills at Strathcarron and he always smiles at me

[@murdochmclennan3510]

@@Thaulopi Is this REALLY true? Please let me know!

[@Thaulopi]

[@foggydew3614]

@@Thaulopi mate you're not mad...in Albania we say that if you can clearly see a person that is dead or can clearly feel him/her close to you is because his/her soul is still among us even though the person is phisically dead and is no more with us... so I believe that Roy's soul never left this world

[@murdochmclennan3510]

@@Thaulopi What age is he? In other words, how old does he seem to be?

[@georgiebrownletsgo7246]

Goosebumps listening take this

[@murdochmclennan3510]

Georgie Brown. I am sick to death of reading about goosebumps. Give it a rest.

[@georgiebrownletsgo1137]

brings a tear tae ma een

[@AppleJack1982]

you guys should look up bonnie prince billy's ohio riverboat song, its a reworking of this and very good in its own right. :)

[@scottishpensioner2447]

One of my absolute favourite Carries songs. Simple beauty.

[@murdochmclennan3510]

Scottish Pensioner: The correct spelling is 'Corries'.

[@scottishpensioner2447]

@@murdochmclennan3510 sorry, typo

[@scottishpensioner2447]

I grew up with The Corries. About 10 years ago i realised that almost every Scottish folk song I knew and sang all my life came from my Dad's Corries records, which i would hear every day of my childhood.

[@williamh123456789]

What's the name of this instrument?

[@stewartneilson9534]

It's absolutely haunting

[@sciencebabe]

Thank you so much for making this (these) available. I'd hate to think I would never get to see this. I only discovered The Corries very recently. Really there is no comparison to their music. Just the best. So beautiful.

[@MrGaberlunzie1]

I'm glad you've finally found them and get to enjoy them. If you search hard you might find some OLD recordings of the Corrie Folk Trio and Paddy Bell. Now I'm really giving my age away!!

[@foggydew3614]

@@MrGaberlunzie1 mate I have listened to some of them and find them just amazing...the only problem is that I feel so moved when I listen to the Corries even though I'm Albanian, have no Scottish blood in me and I'm only 20 so all my friends think I must be mad...

[@murdochmclennan3510]

sciencebabe: You might find information about or recordings of the Corrie Folk Trio at the website maintained by Ronnie Browne's son Gavin: www.corries.com

[@sciencebabe]

@@murdochmclennan3510 Thank you. I will give it a look!

[@qantas40]

it was actually roy himself who made them. dave has them now though.

[@inverg]

The most beautiful of love songs just superb.

[@TheSaltydog07]

I need this. Ireland, take the Lesters back.

[@MultiChubby1]

for the talent alone he should be king. i am sure he would decline, but from where he is now, he would do a far better job.

[@mikemckv]

Stands Scotland where she did? Never so bright the soul.

[@murdochmclennan3510]

mikemckv Great adaptation of a quotation from MacBeth!

[@redpunk]

the corries are still around?

[@bigmanSJH]

If we only had a fraction of the pride that we can hear seeping through this melody we would no longer be oppressedby our southern cousins

[@MDBellamy]

FYI: The Glenfolk 4 version's just been posted on KZbin!

[@honymonster30]

@rossmcl177 Took my girfriend a few months to ask me why I called her nighean ruadhit just fits her so well(don't hold it against me or her thats she's not Scots) Saw the Corries up here many times IMHO they have to be the best folk singers Scotland ever produced and Roy is sadly missed

[@gerimaus]

reminds me of a dear one

[@davidgrant829]

Update te corres 😂🎉😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@spriggan1437]

Anyone know what instruments Roy is playing?

[@sarahkinsey6658]

I believe it was an instrument of Roy's own invention called a combolin :-)

[@shaunconway7824]

SCOTLAND!

[@snarlacarla]

@anniesgranny2 It is beautiful, but did you know ever hear Silly Wizard with Andy M. Stewart doing this song. Gorgeous too!

[@cffalconer]

Those combolins were made by hand by Roy or Ronnie

[@snarlacarla]

@anniesgranny2 It is beautiful, but did you know ever hear Silly Wizard with Andy M. Stewart doing this song. Gprgeous too!

[@Arkybark]

The combolins were designed by Roy, and he had a hand in building them.

[@snarlacarla]

@anniesgranny2 If I said anything about Silly Wizard's version it was meant as an addition, not an insult.

[@ianmcgregor9851]

If this doesn't make the hair on the neck stand up there is something wrong with your soul

[@donallydon2465]

Lyrics

[@TheDdonmac22]

Aye laddies yeh just canny put ah fit wrang.Its a barren planet withoot yees.

[@marinetadpole]

What is that instrument?

[@DangRockets]

unique. they are the only two combolins.

[@scottishcluj]

DangRockets Two made by Roy are unique yes. But I have seen copies out there by fans. Incredible instruments for a "so called" amateur musician and luthier to have created. The sympathetic strings are incredible and you can hear them here used to effect. Mixing instruments like this Roy was way ahead of later luthiers. I would love one but could never build it. I am not 100% sure a luthier could get an exact copy as the fan versions are not exact I have seen as know one has plans or access to the originals AFAIK. Roy was a musical very gifted - but I much preferred Ronnie's voice myself. Nothing like them in Scotland really to compare currently. Some cracking folk artists but nothing akin to them - they are a one off Scotland is very proud of.

[@antsholland757]

The instrument's name is a combolin. For this song you can get pretty close to that sort of sound on a guitar if you tune to DADGAD. Which is done by changing the strings from EADGBE to DADGAD in that order and then playing D chord G chord and A chord in the DADGAD chord pattern.

[@deckjacobson4230]

+Ants Holland I just drop-tune the low E to a D so I don't have to mess with my fingerings too much.

[@fokker313]

Just discovered this wonderful group, a question if anyone can help... I was wondering what stringed instrument they are playing? I feel ignorant as I am a guitar builder myself, thanking anyone who cares to enlighten an uninformed Yank!

[@moraggrant9856]

Hi they are combolins designed by Roy (the singer) and he helped to make them. Roy was a musical genius and is vastly underrated.

[@murdochmclennan3510]

@@moraggrant9856 Greetings, Morag; I hope you're doing well.

[@willfosterhaze]

Will Oldham brought me here

[@BillDFC]

@rossmcl177 As a Scot I prefer Scots......are you not meaning Scotch?

[@tonzer77]

WHAS LIKE US!

[@TheScotsman55]

Wha's like us?, dam few cause there a' deed