Annotation:Firth of Cromortie (The)
X:1 T:Frith of Cromortie, The M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel N:'Frith' was once and alternate spelling of 'Firth'. B:John Gow – A Favorite Collection of Slow Airs, B:Strathspeys and Reels (London, c. 1804, p. 9) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Emin B|G2 (BF) G(EE)G|FdAd FDAF|GBFB GEeg|afbf g(ee)B| G2 (BF) G(EE)G|FdAd FDFD|EGFA GBAc|BGAF GEE|| f|(a/g/f/e/ b)e Bege|defg afdf| (a/g/f/e/ B)e|gebg B^dfa (geef)| (a/g/f/e/ b)e Bege|dadf AdFD|GBEe ^dfBa|(b/a/g) (a/g/f) gee||
FIRTH OF CROMORTIE, THE. Scottish, Reel. E Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. The melody appears in John and Andrew Gow's A Collection of Slow Airs, Strathspeys and Reels (London, c. 1795). Andrew (1760-1803) and younger brother John (1764-1826) established a publishing business in London in 1788 and were the English distributors for the Gow family musical publications. The Firth of Cromartie or Cromarty is formed from the Orron Water, a stream arising in the mountains of Ross-shire, which meets with other streams flowing from Loch Gillon and Loch Luichart, as it flows to the north-east. Dingwall lies at the head of the bay.
The tune was claimed by Robert Mackintosh, and appears in his Fourth Collection (London, c. 1804) under the title "Lady Charlotte Cadogan."