Reference to William Robertson "Songs And Sayings of Gowrie"

Songs And Sayings of Gowrie pp139-141
"It is but two or three years ago since there passed away, at the ripe age of ninety-seven, a native singer who long served as a link with the distant days of Culloden. Born at Castle Huntly in 1804, William Robertson spent much of his earlier years in the service of Glengarry. Here it was that, in 1820, he met Owen Macdonnell, one of the heroes of 1745, who had been present at the battles of Preston-pans, Falkirk and Culloden. With others, also, who had fought at Culloden, Robertson had the good fortune to converse. Possessed of a vigorous mind, he took kindly to the study of poetry, metaphysics and theology. Comparatively late in life he developed a considerable poetic faculty, the fruit of which is to be seen in two small volumes, The Mountain Muse and Echoes of The Mountain Muse, Dundee 1893. Many of the poems recall, the author tells us, sights and sounds with which he was familiar "when I roved, a young Highlander, o'er the dark heath." Among the more interesting are those that relate to Jacobite times - "A Culloden Jacobite", "Lines on a Culloden Field" (suggested by the remarks of heroes who had fought at the battle), "Culloden Field the Night Before The Battle". The last named piece may be taken as a specimen of Robertson's style."

More about the Macdonells of Glengarry

Further late night ferreting has uncovered a few more gleaned facts about William Robertson. There is a book called Songs and Sayings of Gowrie by Philip Adam written in the early 1900s which mentions William Robertson. It is not available as were the books below - but through sheer dogged determination and compounding search parameters I managed to find out some of what it said. Then I discovered that the University of Queensland had a copy and my sister Ann was able to request a copy as she works in another University. (Ahh - the lengths we'll go to!)

William Robertson is described on p140 as a "native singer who long served as a link with the distant days of Culloden. Born at Castle Huntly in 1804, William Robertson spent several of his earlier years in the service of Glengarry. Here it was that in 1820, he met Owen Macdonell, one of the heroes of 1745, who had been present at the battles of Preston-pans, Falkirk, and Culloden. With others, also, who fought at Culloden, Robertson had the good fortune to converse. Possessed of a vigorous mind, he took kindly to the study of poetry,metaphysics and theology. Comparatively late in life he developed a considerable poetic faculty, the fruit of which is to be seen in two small volumes, The Mountain Muse, and Echoes of the Mountain Muse, Dundee 1893."

So with the information already known from other books, it would appear that William was born at Castle Huntly near Longforgan in the Carse of Gowrie in 1808. At the age of seven (i.e. around 1817) his parents Robert and Elspeth Robertson, took up new situations with the Macdonells at Glengarry, Inverness-shire and it was there that he went to school (as described here). At around the age of 11 to 12 he met Owen Macdonell, the Culloden Jacobite of whom he wrote in his books. This association with the Macdonell's would also explain the number of stories in which members of this family feature.

An entry on Electric Scotland describes the Robertson's employer as "Colonel Alexander Ranaldson MacDonell of Glengarry, who, in January 1822, married Rebecca, second daughter of Sir William Forbes of Pitsligo, baronet, was the last genuine specimen of a Highland chief. His character in its more favourable features was drawn by Sir Walter Scott, in his romance of Waverley, as Fergus MacIvor. He always wore the dress and adhered to the style of living of his ancestors, and when away from home in any of the Highland towns, he was followed by a body of retainers, who were regularly posted as sentinels at his door. He revived the claims of his family to the chiefship of the MacDonalds, styling himself also of Clanranald."

It is not hard to imagine the impression this man must have made on the young William Robertson, seeing as this same man was used by Sir Walter Scott as the model for his character, Fergus MacIvor. Combined with the stories of Owen Macdonell, it must have enlivened his love for stories, poetry and singing.

Alexander Ranaldson MacDonell died in January 1828. The same website says "he perished in endeavouring to escape from a steamer which had gone ashore. As his estate was very much mortgaged and encumbered, his son was compelled to dispose of it, and to emigrate to Australia, with his family and clan. The estate was purchased by the Marquis of Huntly from the chief, and in 1840 it was sold to Lord Ward (Earl of Dudley, Feb. 13, 1860,) for £91,000. In 1860 his lordship sold it to Edward Ellice,Esq.q. of Glenquoich, for £120,000. "

Perhaps the Robertsons moved on from Glengarry when the estate was sold. We do know from other sources that the Robertson's eventually went to another situation in the Howe of Strathmore were William was apprenticed (family history says he was apprenticed to his father).
We do know that William was in Dunnichen in 1835 when he married Elisabeth Adam. And later he was in the Airlie district which is where he met his second wife Jean. All of this information gives a good picture of William's early life and explains both his love for Highland scenery and the many stories and tales he had about the Macdonnells of Glengarry.