Annotation:Abercairney House (2)

The melody appears in Malcolm MacDonald of Dunkeld's 3rd Collection, dedicated to Miss Drummond of Perth. Regarding Abercairny, a pipe pibroch called "Abercairney's Salute" was composed by Charles MacArthur in honor of a special event. James Murry (Morey) of Abercairny (a lovely property about four miles from Crief, Perthshire, on the borders of the Highlands) married Lady Christian Montgomery, daughter of the Earl of Eglinton. Lady Christian's sister, Lady Margaret, married Sir Alexander MacDonald of the Isles. The sisters and their spouses became quite close and visited back and forth, and Abercairny eventually became so fond of the Highland pipes that he extended repeat invitations to his brother-in-law's piper, MacArthur, who visited him at Abercairny. The pibroch was composed on the completion of Abercairny's new and spacious dining-room, the occasion of a grand dinner. Murray spoke: "The room and entertainment are not altogether complete; one thing is wanting to render them so, to some of us perhaps-Charles MacArthur, to animate the feast with his presence, and with the stirring notes of his great Pipe." Scots fiddler-composer composed one of his finest laments for Murray, "Auld Abercairney," when he died (see both note and tune "Niel Gow's Lamentation for James Moray, Esq., of Abercairny"). In addition to MacDonald's volume, the strathspey appears in James Stewart-Robertson's Athole Collection (1884, p. 272).