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The Outlaw James MacPherson by Glenfiddich Artist in Residence, Qi Xing
Outlaw Jamie MacPherson
Nov 16
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"I've spent my life in rioting,
Debauch'd my health and strength,
I squander'd fast, as pillage came,
And fell to shame at length.
Chorus: Sae rantingly, sae wantonly,
Sae dauntingly gaed he;
He play'd a tune, and danc'd it roon'
Below the gallows-tree.
My father was a gentleman,
Of fame and honour high,
Oh mother, would you ne'er had borne
The son so doom'd to die."
~ MacPherson's Farewell, Robert Burns, 1786
James MacPherson (1675–1700) was a Scottish outlaw whose legacy endures through MacPherson’s Lament or Rant, famously reimagined by Scottish poet Robert Burns and incarnated as this tribute reel. The original lament is believed to have been composed by MacPherson himself while imprisoned, on the eve of his execution on November 16, 1700. MacPherson's story begins as the illegitimate son of a Highland laird, MacPherson of Invereshie, and a captivating gypsy woman whom the laird encountered at a wedding. Acknowledging his son, the laird raised Jamie in his household. However, after his father’s death—killed in an attempt to recover stolen cattle taken from Badenoch—young Jamie was reclaimed by his mother’s people. Growing up among the gypsies, he became renowned for his extraordinary beauty, strength, and stature. Over time, he earned a reputation as a man of unmatched physical power, a master swordsman, a skilled fiddler, and ultimately the leader of his gypsy band. This vigorous reel with its setting and advancing in lines of three in both directions is a thrill for the active couple! 🎶 ⚔️ 🐂 🐂 🐂 🪦 🎻
MacPherson's Rant
Jamie MacPherson's career of robbery came to an end in the markets of Banff, Elgin, and Forres. Apparently under the protection of the Laird of Grant, he and his band of followers would come marching into town with a piper at their head, adding a bold and almost celebratory air to their unlawful pursuits.
But finally, at the Saint Rufus Fair in Keith, MacPherson was attacked by Braco's men and captured after a fierce fight. According to the traditional account, a woman dropped a blanket over him from a window, entangling him, and he was disarmed before he could free himself.
As it was still at that time a criminal offense merely to be a Gypsy, MacPherson's fate was grim. Between his trial and execution, MacPherson is said to have composed the tune and song now known as MacPherson's Lament or MacPherson's Rant—a haunting piece of music that would become his legacy.
Sir Walter Scott recounts that MacPherson played the tune under the gallows. After finishing, he offered his fiddle to anyone in his clan who would play it at his wake. When no one stepped forward to take the instrument, he dramatically broke it—either across his knee or over the executioner's head—before throwing it into the crowd with the words, "No one else shall play Jamie MacPherson's fiddle."
It is universally believed in the northeast of Scotland that a reprieve was on its way to Banff at the time of the execution. According to legend, Duff of Braco saw a lone rider approaching from Turriff and correctly guessed that he carried a pardon for Jamie from the Lord of Grant. As the story goes, Duff then manipulated the village clock, setting it 15 minutes ahead, ensuring MacPherson was hanged before the pardon could arrive.
For more about "the clock that hanged MacPherson," click to see the clock as it stands today!
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
