"The Skye Boat Song" is a Scottish folk song, which can be played as a waltz, recalling the escape of Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) from Uist to the Isle of Skye after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
The lyrics were written by Sir Harold Boulton to an air collected in the 1870s by Anne Campbell MacLeod (1855–1921).
The song was first published in "Songs of the North" by Boulton and MacLeod, London, 1884, a book that went into at least fourteen editions.
In later editions MacLeod's name was dropped and the ascription "Old Highland rowing measure arranged by Malcolm Lawson" was substituted.
Songs of the North (Folk Songs, Scottish) - IMSLP
According to Andrew Kuntz, a collector of folk music lore, MacLeod was on a trip to the isle of Skye and was being rowed over Loch Coruisk (Coire Uisg, the "Cauldron of Waters") when the rowers broke into a Gaelic rowing song "Cuachag nan Craobh" ("The Cuckoo in the Grove").
Miss MacLeod set down what she remembered of the air, with the intention of using it later in a book she was to co-author with Boulton, who later added the section with the Jacobite associations. "As a piece of modern romantic literature with traditional links it succeeded perhaps too well, for soon people began "remembering" they had learned the song in their childhood, and that the words were 'old Gaelic lines',"
The Skye Boat Song - Wikipedia
Skye Boat Song
Skye Boat Song - Pop Archives - Sources of Australian Pop Records from the 50s, 60s and 70s
In 1892 Robert Louis Stevenson wrote new lyrics for the song which were published in the collection "Songs Of Travel And Other Verses". Songs of Travel, by Robert Louis Stevenson
The version with the 1892 Stevenson-lyrics was used in the TV series "Outlander" (2014)
The version with the Boulton-lyrics was extremely popular in its day, and from its first recording by Tom Bryce in 1899, became a standard among Scottish folk and dance musicians.
(o) Tom Bryce (1899)
Recorded April 29, 1899 in London
http://www.nls.uk/media/1056406/section-03-b.pdf
Released on Berliner's Gramophone E-2048-X

http://sounds.bl.uk/related-content/TEXTS/029I-GRAGX1901XXX-0000A0.pdf
(c) Atherton Smith (1900's + 1904)
Recorded 1900's in London
Released on Zonophone 12863
Also recorded in July 1904 in London
Released on Odeon 2358
http://www.nls.uk/media/1056457/section-20-shanks-sync.pdf
(c) Mr. Andrew Black (1904)
Recorded September 17, 1904 in London
http://www.nls.uk/media/1056406/section-03-b.pdf
Released on Gramophone Concert Record (G&T) # G.C.-3-2162

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(c) P.A. Hope (1911)
Recorded August 9, 1911 in London
http://www.nls.uk/media/1056424/section-09-h.pdf
Released on Zonophone Records # X-2-42163 and on Zonophone Records # 705

(c) Alexander MacGregor (1924) (as "Oigh Mo Ruin (Skye Boat Song)")
Recorded March 19, 1924 in Hayes, Middlesex
http://www.nls.uk/media/1056439/section-14-ma-mckay.pdf
Released on His Master's Voice B-1826

(c) Elder Cunningham (1927)
Recorded January 11, 1927 in London
http://www.nls.uk/media/1056409/section-04-c.pdf
Released on Columbia 4282

(c) Stuart Robertson (1934)
Recorded October 23, 1934 at Abbey Road Studio in London
http://www.nls.uk/media/1056451/section-18-r.pdf
Released on His Master's Voice B-8260

(c) Isobel Baillie (1946)
Recorded August 19, 1946 at Abbey Road Studio 3 in London
http://www.nls.uk/media/1056406/section-03-b.pdf
Released on Columbia DB-2277

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(c) Kenneth McKellar (1957)
Recorded March 17, 1957 in London
http://www.nls.uk/media/1056445/section-16-mckechnie-masterton.pdf
Released on Decca F-10901
Kenneth McKellar - Lewis Bridal Song / Skye Boat Song (Vinyl) at Discogs
45cat - Kenneth McKellar - Skye Boat Song / Lewis Bridal Song - Decca - UK - F 10901
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(c) Tom Jones (1965)
On his debut album "Along Came Jones" in 1965.
Vinyl Album - Tom Jones - Along Came Jones - Decca - UK
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Among later renditions which became well known were Peter Nelson and The Castaways from New Zealand, who released a version in 1966, as did Western Australian artist Glen Ingram. Both versions were in the Australian hit parade in 1966
(c) Peter Nelson and The Castaways (1966)
45cat - Peter Nelson And The Castaways - Skye Boat Song - His Master's Voice - Australia
Peter Nelson & The Castaways - Skye Boat Song (Vinyl) at Discogs
(c) Glen Ingram with the Hi-Five (1966)
45cat - Glen Ingram With The Hi Five - Skye Boat Song / Long Time Gone - Clarion - Australia - MCK-1419
Glen Ingram With The The Hi Five / Terry Walker (4) With The The Hi Five - Skye Boat Song / Long Time Gone (Vinyl) at Discogs
(c) Roger Whittaker (1968)
Whistling-only version.
45cat - Roger Whittaker - Early One Morning / Skye Boat Song - Columbia - UK - DB 8333
Roger Whittaker's duet version with Des O'Connor, released in 1986, combined O'Connor's vocals with Whittaker's whistling.
Roger Whittaker & Des O'Connor - The Skye Boat Song (Vinyl) at Discogs
45cat - Roger Whittaker And Des O'Connor - Skye Boat Song / Remember Romance - Tembo - UK - TML 119
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(c) Atlantic Crossing Drum And Pipe Band (1976)
Rod Stewart recorded two versions of the song with the Atlantic Crossing Drum And Pipe Band during the sessions for "Atlantic Crossing" (recorded between April and June 1975)
They were released in April 1976 on the next 45.
45cat - Atlantic Crossing Drum And Pipe Band - Skye Boat Song / Skye Boat Song (Original Pipe Version) - Riva - UK - RIVA 2
They were re-released on the deluxe re-release of the "Atlantic Crossing" album in 2009.
(c) Steve Hackett (1983)
Instrumental guitar-only version on "Bay Of Kings" album
Bay of Kings - Wikipedia
(c) The Shadows (1987)
Instrumental version in the Deerhunter style.
Vinyl Album - The Shadows - Simply Shadows - Polydor - UK
Bear McCreary adapted the song as the opening titles of the 2014 Outlander TV series, sung by Raya Yarbrough, He used the lyrics of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1892 version. (the only part in the lyric that was changed: "Merry of soul he sailed on a day" becomes "Merry of soul she sailed on a day")
In the first season a shortened version of Stevenson's "Skye Boat Song" was used, which was also included on vol 1 of the Original Soundtrack of the series.
But in the second season (2015) a full version was used, which was included on Vol 2 of the Original Soundtrack of the series.
(c) Van Morrison (2017)