The Corries

The Corries were a Scottish folk group formed in the early 1960s, originating from Edinburgh, Scotland, and ultimately comprising Roy Williamson and Ronnie Browne following earlier lineup changes that included Bill Smith and Paddie Bell during the group’s formative years. Their first public appearance came at the Waverley Bar in St Mary’s Street, and they went on to become regular performers on Scottish television, including appearances on The White Heather Club. Williamson wrote “Flower of Scotland”, which became the group’s signature song and was later adopted as an unofficial national anthem of Scotland, widely performed at international rugby and football matches. The song was first recorded by the group in the late 1960s and was later released as a single in 1974. The group issued numerous albums on their own Pan-Audio/DARA label, including Flower of Scotland (1974), Peat Fire Flame (1977), The Very Best of the Corries(1997), The Compact Collection (1998), and Lads Among the Heather (2004), alongside live recordings such as Live from Scotland Volume 1 (1974) and Strings and Things (1970), which showcased Williamson’s invention of the combolin. Roy Williamson died on 12 August 1990 after a brain tumour, after which Ronnie Browne continued solo recordings and occasional performances, and the group was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame in December 2007.