The Athole Collection (book)
This book was compiled by James Stewart Robertson of Edradynate, Perthshire, who was a founding member of the Edinburgh Highland Reel & Strathspey Society. He published his collection of 870 strathspeys, reels, jigs, hornpipes and country dances in 1884.
The current edition was published by Balnain House in Inverness in 1996 and is now published by the Highland Music Trust. They have produced a working volume for today’s players, omitting the rudimentary bass lines but leaving the melody lines unaltered.
The music is grouped by keys, and the juxtaposition of strathspeys and reels encourages the playing of the tunes in sets. The book contains an introduction by the well known Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser and it is perfect bound.