More about this song
George Thomson admired the traditional song of Down the Burn Davie, but lamented that it concluded in an objectionable manner.
He commissioned Burns to write 鈥榓 single elegant stanza鈥� so that, 鈥榯his most exquisite song may no longer be excluded from good company鈥�.
At first Burns responded by stating that he would not touch the original, but he duly sent his revisions to Thomson in September 1793.
He was told by Robert Riddell鈥檚 father that the air for this particular song had been composed by David Maigh, the keeper of the blood slough hounds which belonged to the Laird of Riddell in Tweeddale.
Ralph McLean