CLSNA' LamontCentral Forum

I was just going through some old CDs and ran across my copy of Dunoon by Randall and Linda Dighton that came out in 1998.

The back story is that they were strolling performers at the games in Northern California, Randall playing the lute and both singing Scottish songs. At one of the games I was talking to them and Randall mentioned that they were looking for new song material and I told tham the story of Dunoon. He asked me to send hin more detail and I did. The result was the album Dunoon which was released in 1998. Ogden provided the cover photo.

Here are the lyrics:

Dunoon
By Randall and Linda Dighton C April 1998

(chorus)

How dear the cost in the lives that were lost
In the massacre at Dunoon,
For a treaty was spoke, and a truce was broke,
And a tree grew red from Lamont blood shed,
Now the sod grows o'er their tomb.

The covetous eyes of Lord Argyle fell
on the lands of Lamont at Toward.
In the name of God they laid waste
with fire and salt and sword,
Cruelly they murdered the lasses and bairns,
and left them for beasts of the field,
And tenscore true men were fettered and bound,
with no chance to use claymore or shield.

(Chorus)

With Sir James as their captive, the Campbells rode forth
the castle at Ascog to take.
On an oath of safe conduct the gates were flung wide,
the life of their lord was at stake.
Oh, the terror, the treason, the savage betrayal,
the lives that were lost on that day,
As the castle was leveled, the clansmen were bound
and in boats they were taken away.

(chorus)

The Campbells took all to the shores of Dunoon,
those Lamonts who dared to survive.
Three dozen they hanged on an old oaken tree,
while others were buried alive.
The remnants, still fettered, were slain where they knelt,
with dagger, with dirk and with skean.
The bodies they left for the birds and the beasts,
but the horror will always remain.

(chorus)

Now some say the hanging tree withered and died,
and a miracle henceforth ensued.
The roots of that tree were said to turn red,
the result of that dreadful feud.
The Campbells in panic did hack out its roots
in an effort to cover the deed.
But the earth was still stained with the blood of Lamont
'twas the price of Lord Argyle's greed.

(chorus)

Randall and Linda have moved out of the area and I do not know if the album is still available, although a quick net search does show a copy or 2 available.

-- Edited by EoinDubh on Saturday 29th of November 2014 02:39:01 PM