The Silver Darlings
'Silver' is a tribute to my father-in-law-to-be, Charlie Kennedy. Charlie was born in Dunbeath and has lived there his whole life. I’ve no doubt he’ll be there until he heads off to “the next place,” as he might say himself. He’s a man of quiet loyalty, strong roots, and deep affection for Celtic and Irish music, and 'Silver' is written for him.
Dunbeath is a magical little town in Caithness, not far from Wick. It’s the kind of place that moves at its own pace, with a fairy-tale castle perched on the cliffs above and the river running straight into the North Sea, right in front of Charlie’s window. The harbour, once the heart of a fishing village, is now a gentle mix of locals, small businesses and visitors in camper vans, drawn to its peace and charm.
This song is not just for Charlie. It’s for Dunbeath. It’s for the spirit of a place that knows how to leave well enough alone, where tradition doesn’t boast, but simply stays. Where time is marked not by urgency, but by tides and seasons.
One of Dunbeath’s most famous sons is the writer Neil Gunn, whose novel The Silver Darlings gives this song its name. The book honours the herring fishers who once sailed from these shores. 'Silver' hopefully honours all of it, the castle, the coast, the stories, and above all, the people like Charlie who keep it alive.
'Silver' is for a town that has found its rhythm, and never felt the need to change it.
Finn Moray
Song Lyrics
[Verse 1]
I was born by the water,
where the river meets the sea,
where Dunbeath Castle keeps its watchin’ eye on me.
The gulls call in the mornin’,
the heather scents the breeze,
and the strath rolls wide and gentle down to the North Sea.
[Chorus]
Take me home to Dunbeath,
where the strath runs wild and free,
through the hills and through the stories,
carved in memory.
From Neil Gunn’s words to the harbour’s song,
my heart sails with the Silver Darlings.
[Verse 2]
Old stone walls and stories
that the fishermen still tell.
The peat smoke on the hillside,
I know that land so well.
Neil Gunn wrote of rivers
and the freedom they would bring,
and I still hear that current every time I sing.
[Chorus]
Take me home to Dunbeath,
where the strath runs wild and free,
through the hills and through the stories,
carved in memory.
From Neil Gunn’s words to the harbour’s song,
my heart sails with the Silver Darlings.
[Bridge]
From the braes down to the shoreline,
where the breakers kiss the stone,
no matter where I wander,
I’ll never walk alone.
For the strath runs in my veins,
and the castle guards my dreams.
Dunbeath will always hold me,
like the river holds its stream.
[Final Chorus]
Take me home to Dunbeath,
where the strath runs wild and free,
through the hills and through the stories,
carved in memory.
From Neil Gunn’s words to the harbour’s song,
my heart sails with the Silver Darlings.
[Outro]
Dunbeath, my Caithness… with the Silver Darlings.