History

This song commemorates the escape of Bonnie Prince Charlie from Scotland in 1746 when Flora MacDonald disguised him as a serving maid, and travelled from Uist to Skye in a small boat after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden. Specifically "At eight o'clock, June 28th, Saturday, 1746, the Prince, Miss Flora MacDonald, Neil MacKechan, etc. set sail in a very clear evening from Benbecula to the Isle of Skye. "
(Source: The Lyon in Mourning, Vol. ii, Scottish History Society)

Flora is buried at Kilmuir on the north coast of Skye. Prince Charlie is buried near Rome where he was born. The tune is based on a rowing song called an iorram, and the tune is said to come from the Gaelic song ‘Cuachan nan Craobh’ or ‘The Cuckoo in the Grove’.

The theme song from the Outlander TV series is the melody of Skye Boat but uses the lyrics of Robert Louis Stevenson that have been slightly modified. Please see the lyrics below.

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Lyrics

The original lyrics were written by Sir Harold Boulton, 2nd Baronet, to an air collected in the 1870s by Anne Campbelle MacLeod. Robert Louis Stevenson also wrote a poem which been used as lyrics to the tune. A version of Stevenson's poem, modified by Bear McCreary, serves as the theme song to the TV series Outlander based on the time travel Outlander  novels by Diana Gabaldon.

Original Lyrics

[Chorus]
Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing,
Onward, the sailors cry.
Carry the lad that's born to be king
over the sea to Skye.

Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar,
Thunderclaps rend the air,
Baffled our foes stand by the shore,
Follow they will not dare.

[Chorus]

Many's the lad fought on that day
Well the claymore did wield
When the night came silently lay
Dead on Culloden’s field

[Chorus]

Though the waves heave, soft shall ye sleep,
Ocean's a royal bed.
Rock'd in the deep Flora will keep
watch o'er your weary head.

[Chorus]

Burned are our homes, exile and death,
Scattered the loyal men.
Yet ere the sword, cools in the sheath,
Charlie will come again.

[Chorus]

Stevenson's poem

Robert Louis Stevenson's poem has been sung to the tune, and has this text:

[Chorus]
Sing me a song of a lad that is gone,
Say, could that lad be I?
Merry of soul he sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye.

Mull was astern, Rùm on the port,
Eigg on the starboard bow;
Glory of youth glowed in his soul;
Where is that glory now?

[Chorus]

Give me again all that was there,
Give me the sun that shone!
Give me the eyes, give me the soul,
Give me the lad that's gone!

[Chorus]

Billow and breeze, islands and seas,
Mountains of rain and sun,
All that was good, all that was fair,
All that was me is gone.

Outlander Lyrics

Music composer Bear McCreary modified Stevenson's poem for the TV series Outlander. 'Lad' becomes 'Lass,' 'his' becomes 'her' and 'he' becomes 'she.'

[Chorus]
Sing me a song of a lass that is gone
Say, could that lass be I?
Merry of soul she sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye

[Chorus]

Mull was astern, Rùm on the port,
Eigg on the starboard bow,
Glory of youth glowed in her soul,
Where is that glory now?

[Chorus]

Give me again all that was there,
Give me the sun that shone.
Give me the eyes, give me the soul,
Give me the lass that's gone.

[Chorus]

Billow and breeze, islands and seas,
Mountains of rain and sun.
All that was good, all that was fair,
All that was me is gone.

[Chorus]