This Day in Jacobite History: Raising of the Jacobite Standard at Glenfinnan - 19 August 1745

Wha'll be King but Charlie?

The news frae Moidart cam' yestreen
Will soon gar mony ferlie;
For ships o' war hae just come in,
And landit Royal Charlie!

Refrain:
Come thro' the heather, around him gather,
Ye're a' the welcomer early;
Around him cling wi' a' your kin;
For wha'll be king but Charlie?
Come thro' the heather, around him gather,
Come Ronald, come Donald, come a' thegither,
And crown your rightfu' lawfu' king!
For wha'll be king but Charlie?

The Hieland clans, wi sword in hand,
Frae John o' Groats' to Airlie,
Hae to a man declared to stand
Or fa' wi' Royal Charlie.

Refrain:
Come thro' the heather, etc.

The Lowlands a', baith great an' sma,
Wi' mony a lord and laird, hae
Declar'd for Scotia's king an' law,
An' speir ye wha but Charlie.

Refrain:
Come thro' the heather, etc.

There's ne'er a lass in a' the lan',
But vows baith late an' early,
She'll ne'er to man gie heart nor han'
Wha wadna fecht for Charlie.

Refrain:
Come thro' the heather, etc.

Then here's a health to Charlie's cause,
And be't complete an' early;
His very name out heart's blood warms;
To arms for Royal Charlie!

Refrain:
Come thro' the heather, around him gather,
Ye're a' the welcomer early;
Around him cling wi' a' your kin;
For what'll be king but Charlie?
Come thro' the heather, around him gather,
Come Ronald, come Donald, come a' thegither,
And crown your richtfu' lawfu' king!
For wha'll be king but Charlie?


On 19 August 1745, having freshly arrived in Scotland from exile in Rome, bold Charles Edward Stuart - grandson of the last Stuart King to sit on the thrones of England and Scotland, James II and VII - raised the Jacobite standard on the shores of Loch Shiel at Glenfinnan. *

It was here, in this stunningly picturesque setting, that the Highland clans (most importantly, the Camerons under the leadership of Donald "the Gentle Lochiel" Cameron) rallied to the cause of "Bonnie Prince Charlie".

So began the Bliadhna Thearlaich ("Charlie's Year") - known throughout history as "The '45". Today, we remember the thrill those Highlanders must have felt, their blood stirring with the skirl of the pipes, as they witnessed their rightful King's return and call to arms.

For I hae' na' the heart to te' ye how it a' ended.



* NOTE: Sarah and I spent our honeymoon in Glenfinnan, staying at the Glenfinnan House Hotel (on the right-hand side of the photo above and the colored engraving below). The hotel overlooks Loch Shiel and the Glenfinnan Monument, with views to Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in Britain.

The scenery and atmosphere at Glenfinnan are breathtaking. It is easy to become so steeped in the spirit of the place that one can almost see those Highlanders descending from the surrounding hillsides to gather at the spot where the Bonnie Prince would raise his standard - on the site where the Glenfinnan Monument (lower center of the photo) now stands. Words cannot do it justice. It is a place that must be seen and experienced.

For you movie buffs, there's also a Glenfinnan connection to "Harry Potter" and "Highlander" ("I am Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod. I was born in 1518, in the village of Glenfinnan, on the shores of Loch Shiel...").

Image courtesy of antiqueprints.com




Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
This Day in Jacobite History: Mary Queen of Scots Deposed - 24 July 1567

This Day in Jacobite History: The Battle of Killiecrankie - 27 July 1689

This Day in Jacobite History: Death of Queen Anne; George, Elector of Hanover, Becomes King - 1 August 1714

This Day in Jacobite History: Proscription Act Introduced, Banning Tartan and Carrying of Weapons - 1 August 1747

This Day in Jacobite History: Latin Mass Outlawed in Scotland - 11 August 1560