by yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes where the sun shines bright on loch lomon where me and my true love were ever won t to gae on the bonnie bonnie banks o loch lomon chorus o ye ll tak the high road and i ll tak the low road an i ll be in scotland afore ye but me and my true love will never meet again on the bonnie bonnie banks o loch lomon twas there that we parted in yon shady glen on the steep steep side o ben lomon where in purple hue the hieland hills we view an the moon comin out in the gloamin the wee birdies sing and the wild flow rs spring and in sunshine the waters are sleepin but the broken heart it kens nae second spring tho the waefu may cease frae their greetin composer s name unknown notes lomon is short for lomond it is probably spelled this way to allow the second verse to rhyme there are a number of variations to this song probably the most well known scottish song after auld lang syne of bonnie prince charlies soldiers were captured in carlisle after the abortive rising of 1745 one wrote the song the other was released and took it back to scotland to give to his colleagues sweetheart the low road refers to the soldiers impending death and the path of his spirit whilst the high road is either the sign of hope for which he sacrificed his life or the actual road back to scotland over the high rugged hills hence his spirit would return via the low road and be back in scotland first