Loch-Fine . . . It was an animated spectacle to see so many boats covered with nets and tents, lashing with rapidity, some with their small sails hoisted, others aided by a great number of rowers, who made the air resound with their songs. . . . I was awoke at break of day by the bagpipe of the fishermen, who after passing the night on the gulph, came to take their morning repast at St. Catherine’s.” He continued to run into pipers. He took a boat trip from Ulva to Staffa (1822,p.28):“The piper accompanied us with his bagpipe, and the echoes of the neighbouring rocks resounded with the noisy sounds of the pibroch, or the March of Clanronald. Every laird in the Hebrides has his piper, who accompanies him in his sea excursions, or plays the marches of his tribe during his repasts, while he remains in his castle.We were regaled with this music at Ulva House every day during dinner, and although the piper was placed outside of the house, it was almost impossible to hear the conversation.” Necker was more impressed by the piper in Fingal’s cave (1822, p.32):“The piper, who entered the cave with us, made it resound with the wild and powerful notes of his bagpipe; this instrument well accorded with the character of the scene, and the notes prolonged by the echoes, produced an effect altogether analogous to that of an organ in pealing through the vaulted aisles of a vast cathedral.” They went on to Iona, where they
organised a dance for the boatmen (1822, p.42-43). “We plied the dancers with toddy, and in the
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intervals between the reels they sung several Gaelic songs in full chorus. . . . The airs composed to be sung on the water, and accompanied by the noise of the oars, are called jorrams, the others [land songs] bear the name Oran luathaidh [waulking songs], and are only sung on land to amuse the workmen in their labours; they are a species of ballads, or recitations of adventures, sometimes heroic or tragical, and at other times of a comic or burlesque character.The men and women seated themselves in a circle and joined hands, or held, in couples, the end of a handkerchief, with which they kept time during the chorus. Two of our boatmen, who were the leaders, made all kinds of grimaces and apish tricks whilst singing, striking themselves on the head one against the other with all the dexterity of Italian buffoons, while the rest of the company were convulsed with laughter.” When visiting Eigg (1822, p.53)
they were entertained by a farmer. “He also diverted us greatly by singing some Gaelic songs; and as he was famed for knowing the airs of the bagpipes better than any professed piper,we begged him to give us some specimens. He then sung some pibrochs, with all their difficult passages, pleasingly imitating with his voice the sound of the bagpipe.” Despite his ambivalent attitude to
Highland life and culture, Necker settled in Portree from 1841, living in the Cameron household.He seems to have made no effort to learn to speak Gaelic, finding it barbarous and difficult, and lead a lonely life. He is buried in Portree churchyard.