Annotation:Waggle Cairn
X:1 T:Waggle Cairn, The C:William Christie (1778-1849) N:Christie was a dancing master, fiddler N:and composer from Cuminestown, Aberdeenshire. M:C L:1/16 R:Strathspey B:Christie - Collection of Strathspeys, Reels, Hornpipes, B:Waltzes &c. (Edinburgh, 1820, p. 29) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:A E2|C(E3E3)A FA3TE4|CA3 Ec3 TB3c {Bc}d2D2|C(E3E3)A FA3TE4|1 DF3 CE3 B,2E2C2A,2:|2 FA3 Ec3 B2e2c2A2|| ce3Af3 ca3 {f}e3d|ce3Aa3 Tg3a {ga}b2B2|ce3Af3 ca3 {f}e3c|~d3e .f.e.d.c B2d2c2A2| ce3A2f2 ca3 {f}e3d|ca3 {^d}e3f g3a {ga}b3g|a3ef3c d3Be3d|.c.B.A.G .F.E.D.C B,ECA,||
WAGGLE CAIRN. Scottish, Strathspey (whole time). A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AA'B. "Waggle Cairn" was composed by Cuminestown, Aberdeenshire, dancing master and fiddler-composer biography:William Christie (1778-1849). Waggle Cairn is located in the Parish of Monquhitter, north Aberdeenshire. An 1851 topographical dictionary explained, "The farm on which the church was originally built was termed Montquhitter, or Monquhitter, a word signifying "the place for ensnaring the deer"; or, as others think, "the moss of desolation". . . The surface to a great extent presents a series of undulations; but the scenery is in general rather uninviting. . . Of late years the aspect of the parish has been vastly improved by the extension of farming operations. . ." William Christie's home village of Cuminestown, founded by Joseph Cumine, Esq., is located in the Parish.
The cairn is "A circular heap of stones on the northern extremity of the Waggle Hill. It is now much dilapidated, the stones having been removed for building purposes. Whether it was sepulchral or otherwise cannot now be ascertained. On the northeastern border of the farm of Kethan, the Waggle Cairn, a heap of large white stones, still remains. But whether or not connected with the Battle of Lindrum is most unknown" [1]. The previous sentence refers to a three day battle that took place nearby, between Donald of the Isles and the 'Thane' or Mormaer of Buchan in the latter half of the 11th century. The Comyns are said to have won the victory. Down to at least 1793 it was firmly believed that corn growing on the 'bloody butts of Lendrum' could never be reaped without strife and bloodshed among the reapers [2].
