The Shires on the Moray Frith + 

Worthy of either song or story + 

Are the shires round Frith of Moray, + 

Here lies the valley of Strathspey, + 

Famed for its music, lively, gay, + 

Elgin cathedral’s ’prentice aisle + 

Is glory of that ruined pile. + 

What modern chisel now could trace + 

Fine sculpture of that ancient place, + 

And Forres famed for Sweyn’s stane + 

In honor of that kingly Dane, + 

’Graved with warriors runes and rhymes, + 

Long prior to historic times, + 

For a thousand years its been forgot + 

Who was victor Dane or Scot, + 

It is the country of McBeth + 

Where good King Duncan met his death, + 

And barren heath that place of fear + 

Stood witches cauldron of Shakespeare, + 

Nairn’s Cawdor castle strong remains + 

Full worthy of the ancient Thanes, + 

And nestled ’neath the hills and bens + 

Queen of the moors, the lochs and glens, + 

Full proudly stands in vale of bliss + 

Chief Highland town of Inverness, + 

Near here the famous falls of Foyers + 

Where Burns and others tuned their lyres, + 

And the fatal field of dark Culloden + 

Where doughty clans were once down trodden, + 

Here men yet wear the tartan plaid + 

Ready to join the Highland Brigade, + 

And when the Frith you look across + 

The eye beholds Sutherland and Ross, + 

Where Duke has harnessed mighty team, + 

Plows hills and rocks and moors by steam, + 

Perhaps it may in part atone + 

For cruel clearings days bygone, + 

And Cromarty, whose wondrous mason, + 

First learned his geologic lesson, + 

Friends may rear a stately pillar, + 

The old red sand stone of Hugh Miller, + 

Ben Wyvis towers like monarch crowned, + 

Conspicuous o’er the hills around, + 

With crest ’ere white with driven snow, + 

Strathpeffer’s water cure below. + 