The Ball o' Kirriemuir

A Scottish Orgy

The Ball o' Kirriemuir was written in the 1880's to celebrate the comings and goings of a supposed actual social event in the Kirriemuir district of Scotland. This ballad has been growing ever since (the version in this Songbook has over 200 verses.) Kirriemuir and Aviemore are actual towns in Scotland.

The Music
The Ball o' Kirriemuir
[ 0:30 ] [ 0.5k ]

The Song
The song in this book which is sung to the tune of
"The Ball o' Kirriemuir"

1. Ball of Kirriemuir

The Ball o' Kirriemuir

Oh, the ball,
The ball o' Kirriemuir,
Where folk o' high and low degree
Were screwin' on the floor.

Refrain:
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."

'Twas on the first of August
The party, it began.
Noo, ne'er shall I forget, me lads,
The gatherin' o' the clans.

'Twas the gatherin' o' the clans, mon,
And everyone was there
A-playin' wi' the lassies
An' twinin' curly hair

Five-and-twenty virgins
Came doun frae Aviemore,
Ane o' them got back sae,
But she was double-bore.

John McGowan, the father,
Was quite surprised to see
Four and twenty maidenheads
A-hanging frae the tree.

There was dancin' in the meadows,
There was dancin' in the ricks,
Ye could nae hear the bagpipes
For the swishin' o' the pricks.

etc...