Highlandman’s Toast, The

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Scotland, the land of the thistle and heather
Scotland the land of mountain and flood, 
Scotland to the birthplace of true hearted heroes 
Who paid for their freedom with the last drop of blood. 
We'll may each Scotchman while life lasts remember 
The brave ones who fell 'gainst the numberless host 
Who tried to invade her, in slavery degrade her, 
And whose name shall ever be the Highlandman's toast

Here's to the heath, the hill, and the heather, 
The bonnet, the plaidie, the kilt and the feather; 
Here's to the heroes that Scotland can boast, 
May their names never die – that's a Highlandman's toast

Famed is the name of our own hero, Wallace, 
Whose brave heart to Scotland was loyal and true, 
Who lived for her glory, who died at that dishonour 
Might never descend on the bonnets o' blue. 
And the Bruce we still mourn, who at famed Bannockburn 
With his brave little band the usurpers defied, 
Who fought like a lion, vast armies defying, 
Till the field with the blood of her foemen was dyed.

Wave on stern Thistle, wave on Bonnie Heather, 
Grow o'er the graves where our darling ones lie; 
Bloom there to show them: our friends and our foemen 
How Scotchmen can fight and how Scotchmen can die; 
Bid them remember we want no defender, 
Our hearts are as true as the brave ones of yore, 
Whose names we will cherish to memory perish, 
So let the toast resound from the hill to the shore!

Another Harry Linn song .. Remembered by just a couple of traditional source singers, and appearing in several broadsides and song books published in Scotland.

Jingoism is an unpleasant trait in songs from the Halls that I have commented on elsewhere. I won’t make any attempt to edit it out, but I make no apology for calling it out when I see it. I appreciate this song calls on famous events in Scotland’s fight against the English, but let’s recall that the “hordes” that Highland regiments were fighting in the late 19th century tended to be people of a different colour on the African continent and elsewhere.

You can hear George Hay sing it at the excellent Tobar an Dualchais Kist o Riches site. They hint that the chorus may be an older toast adopted from a different source, I’ve been unable to confirm this.