Music and memory: Jacobite songs

Music can be a powerful way of evoking memories, and it can be a particularly important social activity for people living with dementia.

Many traditional songs, some of which can trace their origins back hundreds of years, are still sung and enjoyed by children and adults today. For example, some folk songs inspired by the Jacobites – Stuart claimants to the British throne in the eighteenth century – are still taught in many schools in Scotland and sung at ceilidhs and community events. We have recorded three of these traditional Jacobite songs. Find out more about their history in the downloadable song sheets, which include lyrics for you to sing along.

Listen to the recordings below:

The Skye Boat Song

Charlie, he's my darling

Hey Johnny Cope