Annotation:Fitful Head
X:1 T:Fitful Head N:Transcribed from a 1954 field recording of fiddler Peter Scollay (1922-2000), N:Burravoe, Yell, Shetland. M:C L:1/8 R:Reel D:https://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/89868?l=en Z:Andrew Kuntz K: A GA|BGEd c2Ac|dBef e2fg|agag (f/g/f)ba|(g/a/g) e2e2fg| aefa e2 ce |dBed (c/d/c) Ac|Bdfa gedB|1(c/d/c) A2A2:|2(c/d/c) A2 A3|| B|cedB cedB|(c/d/c) AA A2 ce|agag (f/g/f)ba|(g/a/g) e2e2fg| aefa e2 ce |dBed (c/d/c) Ac|Bdfa gedB|1(c/d/c) A2A3:|2(c/d/c) A2A2 ||
FITFUL HEAD. Scottish, Reel (cut time). Scotland, Shetland Isles. A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AA'BB'. "Fitful Head" was in the repertory of fiddler Peter Scollay (1922-2000) of Burravoe, Yell, Shetland. He was recorded playing it in August, 1954, by field recorder Iain Maclean.
Fitful Head is a high bluff headland with steep drops to the sea at the south end of the Mainland island of the Shetland Isles, and is a landmark to mariners. Sir Walter Scott mentions it frequently one of his Waverley novels, The Pirate (1822), often in conjunction with his mysterious character Old Norna of Fitful Head:
“O, the morning mist lies heavy upon yonder chain of isles, nor has it permitted us since daybreak even a single glimpse of Fitful-head, the lofty cape that concludes yon splendid range of mountains. The fowl are winging their way to the shore, and the shelldrake seems, through the mist, as large as the scart. See, the very sheerwaters and bonxies are making to the cliffs for shelter.”
