warlocks and witches in a dance.
nae cotillion brent new frae France,
but hornpipes, jigs, strathspeys, and reels,
put life and mettle in their heels.
a winnock-bunker in the east,
there sat auld Nick, in shape o’ beast;
a towzie tyke, black, grim, and large,
to gie them music was his charge:
he screw’d the pipes and gart them skirl,
till roof and rafters a’ did dirl.
from “Tam o’ Shanter” by Robert Burns
Devoted to Elizabeth Dobie-Sarsam and her ancestors. May their memory live on in the pipe’s drone. Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/your-specialist-subject-ii/episodes/your-specialist-subject-ii-piper-s-lament-w-3am3ali-14th-april-2026
