On the day I saw Loch Lomond, I cried.
A lot.
I cried when I heard the story of the song, I cried when our tour guide played the song (all three times), and I cried when I saw the lake and sang it to myself.
Although the original composer of Scotland’s most famous song is unknown (and there are a lot of theories about how the song originated), the story our guide told us goes like this: two Scottish brothers were caught red-handed in England. They were both sentenced to death, however, eventually the English softened and changed the sentence: they would let one of the brothers go, while the other one would die for the crimes. The catch? The brothers had to decide who would be the one to die, and who would be the one to be set free.
This difficult decision was eventually made, and as the brother walked away, leaving the other to die, he heard this:
“Oh, ye’ll tak’ the high road, and I’ll tak’ the low road, And I’ll get to Scotland afore ye; But me and my true love will never meet again On the bonnie, bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomond.”
As we wandered along the edge of the loch, I could imagine the dead brother’s lover, waiting for him to never return, possibly looking out over the water, just as I was. I could imagine the surviving brother, haunted by these words the rest of his life.
Loch Lomond was the Scotland I’d always dreamed to see, complete with the history, the loyalty, the beauty, the tragedy, and even the magic.
I dare you not to cry, with the song dancing through your mind, as you stand on those very bonnie banks.
Have you ever visited a place that made you cry?
This post was originally published, in a slightly shorter, different form, in 2014.
Linking up with Travel Tuesday.
I love that song! I definitely cried the first time I heard it. Loch Lomond looks beautiful!
Well you’ve been warned–you will be singing it nonstop and crying if you ever get to see Loch Lomond (which I highly recommend)!
I had to come see your post about Loch Lomond! Gorgeous pictures! It seems you had such a wonderful time out there! I had not heard the song when I went and the lake was a bit underwhelming actually. But at graduation a few months ago, the choir sang Loch Lomond and I cried so much! It’s just one of those beautiful song and like you said there is so much history behind it! It’s funny my boyfriend is a Scot and when he saw me crying he was really shocked because for him it’s a song you sing at football matches! haha Such different perspective!
Loch Lomond certainly is bonnie. That’s too sad of a story, I’d have been in floods of tears too! Plenty of places have made me cry… I’m a bit of a crier to be honest!
What places have made you cry? I don’t cry very often at places but this one did it 😉 I mean, the story and the beauty and the music were just too much!
…yes I have. The Berliner Dom. Which totally surprised me that I did. I think I just wasn’t expecting how beautiful it would be because looking at it from the outside it didn’t seem like it would be. But then when I stepped inside, saw how beautiful it was, and heard the choir practicing I got goosebumps and tears down my cheek.
I’m going to have to go listen to this song now as I don’t think I’ve ever heard it.
Oh wow! A choir practicing, too! I think music is often the catalyst for tears for me! I was almost in tears at a few spots in Berlin–just so much history there!
I had never heard of this song, but now I know for next time i’m in Scottland!
P.S. I love your new layout! 🙂
Yes! Listen to it there and you will get goosebumps 🙂 and thank you so much! I’m glad you like it–I do too! I thought it might be TOO minimalist but for now it’s a nice change. 🙂 xo
Oh, Scotland. It’s easy to see how its beauty inspires so much poetry and song!
So true! 🙂 I almost burst into poetry and song myself 😉
I was like – I totally feel I’ve read this before haha definitely had! Still makes me want to weep – I’m the same with that song! I love it so much, it pulls at my heart 100%.