Scotland’s national poet has written a new poem inspired by the Lochnagar Munro near Balmoral Castle to mark the passing of the Queen.
The makar or national poet, Kathleen Jamie, said she felt “incumbent” on writing it due to the “extraordinary” national event.
The poem focuses on Lochnagar, the 3,789ft mountain that is located on the royal estate of Balmoral.
Lochnagar is a popular walk for royals dating from as far back as the days of Queen Victoria, who bought Balmoral in the 1850s.
Lochnagar favourite spot for King Charles
Many locals from Ballater have reported seeing the Queen and other royals while they are out walking on the mountainside.
It is also a popular spot for deer. Hunting deer has been a popular royal pastime at Balmoral for more than 150 years.
In 1980, the then Prince Charles wrote a children’s book called The Old Man of Lochnagar, which tells the story of an old man who lives in a cave under the mountain.
It raised money for The Prince’s Trust charity.
The Royal Lochnagar Single Malt whisky is produced near the estate on the south side of the River Dee. Prince Charles visited the distillery in 2018.
Queen’s love of Lochnagar
Ms Jamie said she chose to write the poem on the landscape because both the Queen and she have a common love for it.
She said: “When I was thinking about how to make the poem, my imagination went to that part of the Scottish landscape that she loved so well.
“I chose to do this in an old-fashioned form to represent the virtues that many people found in the Queen, of constancy and tradition.”
Read the full poem below
Lochnagar
The alder boughs hang heavy,
Red weighs the rowan-trees
That line the well-loved path which climbs
To Lochnagar from Dee
And knows at last the open hill,
Those ancient wind-honed heights
Where deer stand shy and sky-lined,
Then vanish from living sight,
Where grief is ice, and history
Is distant roiling skies,
Where weather chases weather
Across the lands she strived
To serve, and served supremely well,
Till the call came from afar:
Back to the country kept in her heart,
The Dee, and Lochnagar.
The role of Makar
Ms Jamie came into the role of Makar or national poet in 2021 when she was appointed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for a three-year term.
The decision was based on a recommendation of an expert panel representing Scotland’s literary sector.
Their role involves promoting poetry nationally and producing work relating to significant national events.
Ms Jamie has so far completed three official works, read them here.
Conversation