Sunday, August 22, 2010

The Laird of Balnamoon


Well, having embarrassed the heck out of Mr. Scott-Douglas, [cough] allow me now to introduce you to Mr. Kevin Walsh!


(I showed this picture to our excellent web-mistress, who said, “Does every Scot have a kilt pic? What they don’t realize is, all they have to do is go on any Diana Gabaldon fan board, and pick up any single woman they want, from anywhere in the world! *g* Doesn't even matter what they look like, they just need the kilt and the accent.” )


Kevin is both the singer and the song. By which I mean that he’s the composer and creator of all the music for the Outlander: The Musical CD—and also sings the voices of Dougal MacKenzie and Ian Murray _on_ the CD. (You can hear him as Dougal in “The Message” and as Ian in the hilarious “Why Did I Marry a Fraser?” (in which Jamie and Jenny bicker in the background as Ian and Claire condole with each other: Ian/Claire: “[Frasers]…they’re awkward/and sulky/bad-tempered/and vain” (Jamie: “VAIN?!” Claire: “Yes, you strut about there like a Highland John Wayne…”)) as well as a brief bit in “I Am Ready”).


Kevin’s also aka the Laird of Balnamoon – pronounced, he says, “Bonny Moon” in old Scots—this being the name of his house, “Cotton of Balnamoon,” an ancient structure once belonging to a Jacobite laird named James Carnegy-Arbuthnott*)


* James Carnegy-Arbuthnott, Laird of Balnamoon, favoured the Jacobite cause and was known as the Rebel Laird. He was Prince Charles Edward Stuart's Deputy-Lieutenant of Forfarshire and an officer in Lord Ogilvy's Angus regiment. He survived the Battle of Culloden in 1746 and fled to Glen Esk where he was harboured by locals until he was betrayed by the local Presbyterian minister. Sent for trial in London, he was acquitted on a misnomer. (In 1745 he had added his wife's surname and territorial designation of Arbuthnott of Findowrie to his own name, from whence arose the confusion). [From Wikipedia]

23 comments:

  1. I'm a sucker for a man in a kilt and Mr Walsh looks verra braw in his :0)

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  2. Dear Cairine--

    Oh, aren't we all? [g]

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  3. Oh thank you for posting that nice looking Scot in a kilt. *wink*

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  5. Diana... Thanks for the great pix. Love the Kilt comment! The first time I saw my husband in a kilt my heart skipped a beat and I got weak in the knees (and he was only trying it on over his jeans). Lesson learned -- it's not appropriate to *swoon* in a public festival tent!

    Speaking of Kilts, just got back from Seattle and found a great little brewery that serves a scottish red ale. Thought you'd get a kick out of the name: http://www.pikebrewing.com/beers/pike_kilt_lifter_product_sheet.pdf

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  6. LOL!!
    Thanks M&M...I just sprayed tea all over my laptop there
    Now I'm going to have that interesting mental picture stuck in my head all day.
    *wanders off smiling*

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  7. I would _not_ know about Kevin's personal bonny moon [cough,cough,cough]--but I do know about Kilt-lifter beer. [g] My husband drinks it fairly often, though his favorite of the moment is Dos Equis.

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  8. Did Big Bird & Bonny Moon know what they were getting themselves into? (-;

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  9. I'm thinking they may have a fair idea now! *evil grin*

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  10. No Ms. Adventures North I don't think they do, just a little warning for everyone, the last thing you want me, or anyone else that Photshops, is to have a verra large picture of yourself! :)

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  11. Hi Kate in Perth Western Australia of "hen" fame! *vbg* My DH Hugh was trying on his kilt outfit and walked into the lounge room for our opinion etc the night before our son's wedding and if it hadn't been that my BF from Scotland was there too I would have had to have my wicked way and thrown him to the floor there and then! Phew!! Woohoo! Nothing more gorgeous than a nice well set up man in a kilt!

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  12. Dear M&M--

    You notice Mike's much too wary to let us have a photo of _him_...

    --Diana

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  13. Y'know Diana....I was wondering about Mike
    He'll never hand one over now!

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  14. Diana,

    Sometimes the power of the internet is a wonderful thing, it's also why I run from the camera! *g*

    M

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  15. Dear Cairine--

    Well, not if Kevin and Allan get to him first...

    I've not seen Mike in a kilt, though; don't know if he has one.

    --Diana

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  16. Mike is such a lovely man and his personal touch when purchasing his CD is much appreciated. I'm so thankful for his offering to sign a CD that I bought as a gift for a friend recovering from cancer.

    P.S. My hubby wears a Black Watch kilt too.

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  17. .....and don't I feel like a complete dolt, mistaking Mr. Walsh with Mike Gibb. Both men are geniouses and I sincerely hope to one day see a production of this play. I love my CD.

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  18. Dear Aislinn--

    They're wonderful--as are all the singers who perform on that CD!

    I'm just now reading the first draft of Mike's libretto for the complete stage production--keep your fingers crossed!

    --Diana

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  19. Is Mr. Walsh Married... that tis what I need to know. He is a wonderful man and talented too from the you tube that I hear of him. Please do tell...it looks as if he wears a wedding ring...but one can never tell !!!

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  20. Dear Anonymous--

    Yes, I'm afraid Kevin _is_ married--with three dogs. [g]

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  21. Alas Dianna all the good men are taken are they not? One can dream one day I will find MY Jamie...be it through a time space rift or what not. Thanks for letting all of us share in Jamie and Clair and the love they have...it gives us hope a good one may yet wait for one of us!
    The Anonymous one!

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  22. Very strange, unfortunately hes definitely not the laird of balnamoon. As the real laird is my uncle, this guys a complete liar. and he looks shit in a kilt.

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