Your browser does not support the audio element. While many traditional variations still play it as an instrumental with bagpipes and flute, several vocal versions of Scotland the Brave exist. It was later published in 1911 as a flute solo, but it was not until 1951 that Cliff Hanley wrote the lyrics. The music originates in the late 19th century when it was set as a march for bagpipes. It is a militant song that calls to mind the valor of the Scottish nation and people. Unlike many Scottish ballads that dwell on its wars with England, Scotland the Brave focuses on the merits of Scotland itself, boasting of the people's bravery and loyalty, as well as the counry's natural beauty and glorious history. As is traditional with many nationalistic folk tunes, the final verse sees the narrator ‘longing and dreaming for the heartland again’.Scotland the Brave is a Scottish song considered by many to be the unofficial anthem of Scotland.

Its stirring tune was set to lyrics written by Glasgow journalist Cliff Hanley in the 1950s, painting a picture of a glorious Scottish landscape, complete with ‘misty highlands’, ‘shining rivers’ and ‘tropic skies’. Often played by pipe bands, ‘Scotland the Brave’ is heard at parades, football matches, and was previously used as the Scottish anthem at the Commonwealth Games – until it was replaced by ‘Flower of Scotland’ in 2010.

Scots tend to disagree about what constitutes an ‘unofficial national anthem’, but ‘Scotland the Brave’ is often up there with ‘Flower of Scotland’ as a major contender.

Here are the lyrics to Loch Lomond? Scotland the Brave The song is believed to date back to the Jacobite Uprising of 1745, with the text created from a poem written by Scottish poet Andrew Lang in the 19th century. The text is written in colloquial Scottish, referring to ‘bonnie braes’ (beautiful banks ) and ‘wee birdies’ (small birds). This song brings to life a narrator longing to be reunited with a departed love on the ‘bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond’, Scotland’s largest loch located just outside Glasgow. Its lyrics been tied to Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns, even though he admitted that most of the text was passed to him by an old man. This tradition is believed to have begun in 1929 when the house band at New York City’s Roosevelt Hotel led a rendition of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ in a performance that was broadcast live over the airwaves around the world. It’s become a firm part of New Year’s Eve around the world, with revellers crossing arms and singing it in unison to herald in a new year. ‘ Auld Lang Syne’ is probably the most famous Scottish song of all time, its reach now extended far beyond Scottish shores. We included ‘Flower of Scotland’ in our round-up of the best rugby songs to sing during the Six Nations. Perfect for a little Scottish-English rivalry. The 1990 Five Nations game between Scotland and England helped cement its reputation, thanks to the fact that its lyrics celebrate the Scottish victory over England at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. ‘ Flower of Scotland’ was adopted by Scots in 1974 when the nation’s rugby winger Billy Steele persuaded his teammates to sing it while they were on tour in South Africa. You can’t do a round-up of Scottish songs without including Scotland’s unofficial national anthem.

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