J. F. Campbell Collection > Popular rhymes of Scotland

CHARACTERISTICS OF PLACES, &C.
Dunse dings a'.
That is, beats or surpasses all other places ; but in what
respect, it would be difficult to imag-ine. It may be men-
tioned that this is only the opinion which the people of
Dunse entertain of the town, as their neig'hbours, in general,
scout the idea with g-reat indig-nation. The Lads o' Dunse
are celebrated by a lively Scotch tune bearing their name.
AE — {Dumfriessliire) .
The Lads of Ae.
'Ae is a river in Dumfriesshire, having of course a
glen, called Glenae, the male inhabitants of which were
long famed for broils, battles, and feats of activity, whence
called "The Lads of Ae" — a phrase in some measure ex-
pressive of their wild and daring character. At every fair
and wedding, in those days, it was customary to have a
fight ; and the Lads of Ae were ever foremost in the fray.
' Before carts were used, or roads made in the country,
and yet within the memory of man, the goods of merchants
were all conveyed from one place to another on the backs
of horses ; and the farmers of Ae, who were almost all
employed in this business, often transported merchandise
in this manner from Glasgow to Carlisle, Manchester, and
various other towns in England. Wherever they went,
through England or Scotland, their names were famous
for cudgel-playing, boxing, and similar exercises.
' A number of the Lads of Ae, under one of the Dalziels
of Glenae, fought at the famous battle of Dryfe Sands,
where almost all were killed ; and not a man of them, it
is said, would have escaped, had not young Kirkpatrick
of Closeburn (who was to have been married to Dalziel's
daughter) come to their assistance. A little after this
instance of heroism, Kirkpatrick himself fell, greatly la-
mented.' — Note to ' The Battle of Dryfe Sands, by William
M'Vitie. Dumfries: 1815.
Aiild Ayr.
' Auld Ayr ! wham ne'er a toun surpasses
For honest men and bonnie lasses.'— Burns.