MARCH OF THE CAMERON MEN
Mary Maxwell Davies

There’s many a man of the Cameron Clan,
That has follow’d his chief to the field;
He has sworn to support him or die by his side,
For a Cameron never can yield. 

Chorus:
For I hear the pibrochs sounding,
Deep o’er the mountain and glen,
While light springing footsteps are trampling the heather,
‘Tis the march of the Cameron men.

Oh! proudly they walk, but each Cameron knows
He may tread on the heather no more;
But boldly he follows his chief to the field,
Where his laurels were gather’d before.

The moon has arisen, it shines on the path
Now trod by the gallant and true;
High, high are their hopes, for their chieftain has said,
That whatever men dare they can do.

Footnote: A song, Jacobite in spirit, to mark the 261th anniversary of the Jacobite army crossing the Border and spending their first night on English soil – 8 November 1745. Without the support of Donald Cameron of Lochiel, The Gentle Lochiel, the 45 Rising would never have got off the ground. After meeting Prince Charles Edward Stewart he said “No, I’ll share the fate of my Prince and so shall every man over whom Nature and Fortune has given me any powers.” Lochiel and 700 Camerons rallied at Glenfinnan on 19 August 1745 and among them was a woman, Jenny Cameron, an aunt of the Glendessary Cameron Chief, who was a minor, and on whose behalf she led his men. The Camerons gave their all for the Prince and The Gentle Lochiel died in exile in 1748.  This song in praise of Clan Cameron was written in 1829 and I first heard it sung by Kenneth McKellar on the wireless, many more years ago than I would care to admit!