Scotlandsmusic

This ancient ballad was 'collected' by Burns in Ayrshire and sent by him, along with its traditional melody, to 'The Scots Musical Museum' of 1792. Sir Walter Scott, in his 'Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border' gives a very similar but longer ballad, entitled 'Lord Randal. Scott suggests that the original subject of the ballad was Thomas Randolph, or Randal, Earl of Murray and nephew of King Robert the Bruce.