Queen Mary harp
This harp, or clarsach, was made in the West Highlands in the
15th century. The woodwork is richly decorated with scroll-work and
animals.
How did the harp come by its name?
Along with another early clarsach, the Lamont Harp, The Queen
Mary harp was long in the possession of the Robertsons of Lude in
Perthshire. The story told is that the harp was a gift to an
ancestor of the Robertsons, Beatrix Gardyn of Banchory, from Mary
Queen of Scots.
Harps music in the Highlands
Harp music was important in the Highlands in the Medieval
Period, with great lords retaining their own harpers. The
hereditary harpers of the Lords of the Isles were the
MacIlschenochs, based in Kintyre. A grave-slab in the chapel at
Keills in Knapdale, probably made for one of them in the 15th
century, has a carving of a clarsach similar to the Queen Mary
Harp.
How does it compare to a modern concert harp?
At 812mm in height, the Queen Mary harp is considerably smaller
than a modern concert harp. Very few early harps survive and this
harp is important evidence for modern musicians who want to
recreate early music. It was originally strung with metal
strings.