Written Oot the Reel: Where are the Women in 18th and 19th Century Scottish Traditional Music?

On this week’s episode we try and answer the question - where are the women in the Golden Age of Scottish trad music? So let’s look at the lives of Euphemia Murray, Catherine White, Magdalene Stirling and Anna Gordon. Just some of the names that shaped 18th and 19th century Scottish Music. 

Sources -

Female Composers in Scotland’s Golden Age - Aaron McGregor 

https://fillocksfiddlers.com/2025/10/22/female-composers-in-scotlands-golden-age/

A Collection of Entirely Original Strathspeys, Reels… By. Ladies Resident in the Remote Part of the Highlands 

https://imslp.org/wiki/A_Collection_of_Entirely_Original_Strathspey_Reels%2C_etc._(Various)

Historical Music Scotland Archives: 

https://hms.scot/prints/source/143/

https://hms.scot/prints/source/145/

London Newspaper Article Found in: 

https://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/MISSKA_MISSRU.htm 

Miss Auchtertyre Score: 

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/scottskinner/collection.php?pageNum_index=55

The Ballad World of Anna Gordon Book: 

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-ballad-world-of-anna-gordon-mrs-brown-of-falkland-9780198939092?cc=us&lang=en

Magdalene Stirling Tunes: 

https://www.highlandmusictrust.org/the-magdelina-stirling-collection

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0:00 - Introduction 

0:40 - Let’s talk women in music

1:43 - Setting the Scene 

2:36 - Women’s History in 18th Century Scotland 

4:24 - Euphemia Murray - check spelling 

8:08 - Catherine E White 

10:50 - Magdalene Stirling 

12:48 - Anna Gordon - The Ballad Collector 

17:17 - Conclusion