Shepherd's and ploughmen's songs and instrumentals from the North-east of Scotland vigorously presented by the mole-catcher/gamekeeper of Pitgaveny, near Elgin. Ena, his daughter joins him on two tracks. Recorded by Peter Kennedy 23rd July 1955: 20 songs, 7 melodeon tunes, children's games & some of his prize winning "diddling"(or mouth-music). There are a number of home-made tunes and songs, including THE BERRYFIELDS OF BLAIR composed by Belle Stewart of Blairgowrie.

1. THE BERRYFIELDS OF BLAIR (Belle Stewart) (talk bef) - 2'12"

2. THE ROVIN PLOUGHBOY (talk bef) - 2'23"

3. LIZZIE LINDSAY sung with his daughter, Ena - 2'03"

4. Instrumental March: AUCHAN LOCHAN (J McD) - 1'10"

5. THE LODGING HOUSE (J MacDonald) - 1'42"

6. THE BANKS AND BRAES OF DUNPHAIL (talk bef) - 2'00"

7. THE HAUGHS OF CROMDALE (talk bef) - 1'28"

8. THE DYING PLOUGHBOY (talk bef) - 3'00"

9. Talk about himself and melodeons - 2'00"

10. LORD RANDAL (Child #12) with Ena (talk after) - 3'54"

11. McGUINESS'S CROSS-EYED PET unaccompanied (talk bef) - 1'18"

12. THE BUCHAN MILLER (George Morris) - 1'54"

13. BONNY UDNY unacc (talk bef) - 2'10"

14. FAREWELL TOMINTOUL - 2'12"

15. THE MAINS O FOGGIELOAN (talk bef) - 2'49"

16. THE LUCKY PLOUGHBOY (Ogston/MacDonald) unaccomp (talk bef) - 2'41"

17. GEORGE MORRIS (John MacDonald) (talk bef) - 1'53"

18. THE BONNY BANKS OF ROSS-SHIRE - 3'21"

19. THE MOTOR CAR (Duncan) unaccomp (talk bef) - 1'55"

20. "Diddling" (mouth-music): THE REEL O' TULLOCH - 1'25"

21. THE BONNY LAIDIE (John MacDonald) - 2'03"

22. THE SHEPHERD LAD O' RHYNIE unaccomp - 2'42"

23. Children's Songs: JAMIE BIRDIE HAD A COO/ OLD BOB BRISTLE unaccomp 1'12"

24. THE FROGGIE SONG unaccomp (talk bef) 2'12"

25. Jigs: TENPENNY BIT & AS I WAS KISSED YESTREEN (talk bef) - 1'54"

26. MARLIN FAIR 2'31"

27. MORMOND BRAES - sung by Ena with John (mel) - 2'56"

Recorded by Peter Kennedy 1955. Edited by Peter Kennedy and first published by Folktrax 1975.

JOHN McDONALD, born 1905. His father was a farmer at Bogrey, Moray, and it was there that John learned many of his songs: from tinkers who slept in the barn, from drovers passing by on the road over the Dava Moors, and from the ploughmen working on his father's farm. He learned to play the melodeon as a boy and at 70 was still playing, singing and repairing melodeons for the local farm-hands.