Duan Albanach

The Duan Albanach (Song of the Scots) is a Middle Gaelic poem.

It follows on from the Duan Eireannach, which covers the earlier mythological history of the Gael.

It is a praise poem of 27 stanzas, probably sung at court to a musical accompaniment by the harp.

The Duan recounts the kings of the Scots since the eponymous Albanus came to Alba.

In the final stanzas it is seen that the poem dates from the time of Malcolm III, in the second half of the 11th century.

The harp (or clarsach ) was an instrument associated with medieval Scottish culture. This one, now in the Museum of Scotland , is one of only three surviving medieval Gaelic harps.