The Crown Jewels of Kinneff

In 1651 Dunnottar Castle was laid tae siege
Cromwell and his forces were behind this deadly deed
The objects of desire was to seize the Honours Three
The crown, the sword, the sceptre, the symbols of the free

Chorus:

For nine lang years the secret lay,
Happed up by cold damp earth,
‘Neath the pulpit, ‘neath the flair,
Neath the auld Kirk of Kinneff.

Dunnottar stood the siege for months and kept the enemy at bay,
The Ogilvies and Cromwell knew there’d be a reckoning day,
The Regalia of the Scottish kings lay in Dunnottar’s vault,
And so was hatched a plan that was daring to a fault.

Now Grainger was the minister o’ the kirk doon at Kinneff,
And Oglivie and Grainger planned a brave and daring theft,
The minister’s wife would hide the Jewels ‘neath her flowing dress,
And convey them from Dunnottar tae the auld Kirk at Kinneff.

In the dark of night the deed was done according to the plan,
Mrs Grainger smuggled oot the Jewels and gave them tae her man,
They buried them neath the pulpit, neath the flair o’ the auld Kirk,
The pride of Scotland’s kings lay buried in the dirt.

Careful wrapped in linen tae preserve them from the damp,
The Graingers kept their secret fae the hale o’ Cromwell’s camp,
The Jewels they lay in secret for nine lang weary years,
But Mrs Grainger’s daring deed safeguarded Scotland’s fears.

The Castle fell and prison was Mrs Ogilvies’s dire fate,
But the secret o’ what happened went with her tae her grave,
The Graingers were the trustees of the sceptre, sword and crown,
Their loyalty and bravery earned them high renown.

Now many names in history are remembered by us all,
But where is Mrs Grainger in history’s roll call,
The daring deed she carried oot kept Scotland’s birthright safe,
‘Neath the pulpit, ‘neath the flair ‘neath the auld Kirk of Kinneff.

The Reverend Grainger was buried in the same spot where the Regalia had lain hidden.
To his memory:

Reader, here Granger’s sacred ashes lie
Who, patriotic, every danger braved
To whom for th’ emblems of her royalty
Scotland indebted stands; for these he saved
And from Dunnottar’s leagured towers conveyed
And in this sacred pile in secret laid.
Who but the Power Supreme could e’er bestow
Reward sufficient for desert like this?
He who his country’s honour saved below
Now wields a sceptre in the realms of bliss.