This song transports us to the 18th century in the Highlands, more precisely in Argyll, in the southwest of Scotland, in the region of Loch Tulla (Argyll and Bute, Scotland). Màiri Bhàn Òg (Engl. Mary Young and Fair) was the nickname given to Mary MacIntyre, devoted and faithful wife of the Scottish Gaelic poet Duncan Ban MacIntyre (Gael. Donnchadh Mac an t-Saoir, 1724-1812), himself called the "Bard of Glen Orchy". Mary was the daughter of Nicol MacIntyre, bailiff and keeper of a small inn on a site now occupied by the Inveroran Hotel, near Bridge of Orchy. Having never attended school in these remote times and places, Duncan was illiterate and his poetry was transmitted orally, until the Reverend Donald MacNicol, pastor of Lismore, made a transcription on paper. A first edition of Duncan's poems dates from 1768, but we know them mainly through the English translation given by George Calder in 1912 (The Gaelic Songs of Duncan MacIntyre). The poem Màiri Bhàn Òg, sung to an older traditional Scottish tune (one of the many variations of Gilderoy) was a gift from the poet to his newly wedded bride.
• For this video, I was inspired by an original arrangement for viola, violin, and cello by Alana Gevert-Glover, found on the MuseScore website (credit given at the end of the video).
The hammered dulcimer heard in the background of the first part was simulated on smartphone using the excellent Dusty Strings D550 Dulcimer app by Michael Eskin :
https://appcordions.com/dulcimers/
The fretted dulcimer (walnut/spruce) is from the Stoney End brand :
https://www.stoneyend.com/
tuned 1-5-8 (D-A-d) with a capo on the first fret.