It tells the story of an ill-fated romance between Annie, the daughter of the miller at Tifty, and Andrew Lammie, the trumpeter for the lord of nearby Fyvie Castle.
The ballad is said to recount a historical event, with the heroine "Bonnie Annie" being buried in the churchyard at Fyvie.
[4] Other popular ballads sharing similar meter and rhyme schemes include Barbara Allen and The Dowie Dens of Yarrow.
[6][7] Annie, daughter of the miller of Tifty, falls in love with Andrew Lammie, trumpeter for the lord of Fyvie.
[13] "Andrew Lammie" shares the themes of martyrdom and tragic love with many Scottish ballads.
[15] Like "The Dowie Dens of Yarrow", this ballad tells the story of a woman who, despite social pressure, is able to take control of her own life, at the cost of losing it.
[18] Contemporary singers including Martin Simpson[19] and Iona Fyfe[20] have cited this ballad as an example of a Scottish honour killing.
[39] In Fyvie Castle, a statue of a trumpeter traditionally held to represent Andrew Lammie stands at the top of Preston Tower.
[40][41] The location of the farmhouse where she lived was about half a mile (0.8 km) from Fyvie Castle, uphill from Tifty's Mill.