Annotation:Miss Macdonald of Powder Hall's Reel
X:1 T: Miss Macdonald of Powder Hall's Reel C:Mr. Macdonald of Bornish M:C L:1/8 R:Petrie - Fourth Collection of Strathspeys, Reels, B:Jiggs and Country Dances (1805) F:https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/119149844 Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:F c|{B}A2 Fc A2(Bc) Fc|dB GF EC CE|{E}D2 B,F CA,A,F|(E/F/G) CE F2F|| A|FfAf afcA|GgBg bgdB|FfAf afcA|dfeg fFFA| Ffaf dcBA|Ggbg fedc|bgaf gefd|BGcB AFF||
MISS MACDONALD OF POWDER HALL'S REEL. Scottish, Reel (whole time). F Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. Powderhall is an area lying between Broughton Road and Warriston Road in the north of Edinburgh, on the south bank of the Water of Leith which flows through Edinburgh, from the Pentland Hills and into the docks at the Port of Leith. Although it has been suggested that the name derives from a gunpowder factory set up by James Balfour of Pilrig House who, with others, was granted a monopoly on its manufacture in 1695, physical evidence that such a factory was ever located here is lacking. It is possible that the designation Powderhall, as with Powderhaugh at Slateford, derives from the Scots Poldre Haw, meaning 'Marshy Haugh'. During the nineteenth century, 'Puddockie' was certainly in common usage as the colloquial name for the stretch of riverbank between Canonmills, Warriston and St Mark's Park, popular for catching frogs and tadpoles. However, this had previously been the site of a substantial mansion house known as Paddock Hall and, in all likelihood, the name Powderhall originates from this. Several substantial mansion houses existed in this vicinity during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries — Redbraes, Stewartfield, Bonnington House and Pilrig.