# Loch Lomond (Runrig song)

"Loch Lomond" is the debut single by Scottish celtic rock band Runrig, released in December 1982 as a non-album single. "Loch Lomond" is a cover version of the traditional Scots song, "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond". The song was released via Ridge Records, and was recorded at Castlesound Studios in Edinburgh.
In 2007, Runrig and the supporters of the Scotland national football team, the Tartan Army, recorded a remix version of "Loch Lomond", released as "Loch Lomond (Hampden Remix). It was a commercial success in both their native Scotland as well as the United Kingdom. It debuted at number one on the Scottish Singles Charts, where it remained for four weeks, and debuted at number nine in the United Kingdom. The 2007 remix was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry. The Runrig song is often played at weddings, birthday parties and celebrations in Scotland, as well as by enjoyed by fans of the Scottish National football team.

## Background

"Loch Lomond" was recorded as a cover version of the historic traditional Scottish song, "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond". The original songwriter and composer of "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond" is unknown, thus, no songwriters are credited on the "Loch Lomond" release by Runrig. However, "The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond" was first published in a book entitled Vocal Melodies of Scotland in 1841, but it is estimated that the origins of the song can be traced back to at least back to the eighteenth century.
"Loch Lomond" is credited as being about "two Scottish soldiers who were imprisoned on the Scottish border. They were tried, and one of them would be sentenced for execution while the other one would be set free". Lyrically, "Loch Lomond" centres around the events of the doomed soldier who is comforting the soldier who will be set free. The soldier, who will be let go, is thought to be deeply distraught about his friend's fate as suggested by the songs lyrics, however, his friend tells him that “you’ll take the high road and I’ll take the low road, and I’ll be in Scotland before ye”. It is said that in traditional and ancient Scottish legend, anyone who passes away outside Scotland will take the “low road” back to their homeland, where they will finally be at peace.

## Recording and release

The band first recorded a version of "Loch Lomond" for their album The Highland Connection which was released in 1979. Rather than having the song arranged in a composure that would create its arrangement as a ballad, the band decided to compose and frame their version within the rock band format of the album, with reasonably high pacing. Runrig later re-recorded the song, leaning towards a significantly softer sound and purer ballad expression than their first version which was included on The Highland Connection.
In an attempt to reach a wider audience, Runrig decided to release a single, with "Loch Lomond" chosen for its commercial appeal. For the single release, the song was re-recorded at Castlesound Studios in Edinburgh. Released in December 1982, "Loch Lomond" received high radio airplay in Scotland and sold very well there. The song also received some airplay in England, such as on Radio 1, through disc jockeys Simon Bates and Terry Wogan.
The 2007 remix, re-recorded version was recorded with 50,000 Scotland national football team supporters, and coincided with the BBC Children in Need fundraiser in Scotland. BBC Scotland were also involved in the recording process of the track, with Runrig claiming that they were "thrilled" to be part of the project to raise funds for Children in Need. A rendition of the song was given in a 2021 documentary on Runrig and its songs.

## Legacy

Supporters of German football team FC Köln sing a song to the tune of "Loch Lomond" before each match the club plays. The song was later adopted as the clubs anthem. Based on data from streaming network Spotify, The Scotsman ranked "Loch Lomond" as number one in the top five Runrig songs of all time. At Scottish weddings, "Loch Lomond" is commonly played at the end of the wedding ceremony in celebration of a newly wedded couple. The song has been described by the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame as a "rocking anthem", partly due to a concert held by the band in 1991 on Loch Lomond itself with a crowd of 45,000 to 50,000 people in attendance. The song is described as being one of the band's best known songs.

## Commercial performance

In the United Kingdom, "Loch Lomond" was the debut appearance by Runrig on the official UK Singles Chart following its debut and peak position of number eighty-six on 8 January 1983. It remained in the UK Top 100 for only one week, before falling out of the UK Top 100. In 2007, the remix version of "Loch Lomond" which features the Tartan Army, the name of supporters of the Scotland national football team, debuted and peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Charts, giving Runrig their first and only UK Top 10 single. The 2007 version remained on the UK Singles Charts for four weeks.
In their native Scotland, the 2007 remix featuring the Tartan Army debuted at number one on the Scottish Singles Charts on 24 November 2007. It remained at number one in Scotland for four weeks, keeping "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis from the top spot. In its fifth week, it fell to number two, behind "What a Wonderful World" by Eva Cassidy and Katie Melua. In its sixth week, it fell to number four where it remained for two weeks, before falling to number nine in the last week of December 2007. By January 2008, it began to climb the charts again in Scotland, climbing to number seven.

## Track listing

7": Ridge / RRS003 (1982)
* "Loch Lomond" – 4:27
* "Tuireadh Iain Ruaidh" – 2:28
CD: Ridge / RRS048 (2007)
* "Loch Lomond" (Hampden Remix) – 7:42
* "Clash of the Ash" – 3:16

## Chart performance
### 1982 release

| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 86 |

### 2007 remix

| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
| Scotland (OCC) | 1 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 9 |