About the Dreg Song Project

In the nineteenth century, Scotsmen fished for oysters in the Firth of Forth by dragging dredges over the oyster 'scalps'. To maintain a steady speed they sang as they rowed. Overfishing brought the industry to a close near the turn of the twentieth century and with it, the use of the dreg songs. In the 1930s James Madison Carpenter gathered some of these songs on wax cylinders and typewritten pages. For years the songs were hidden away - lost. Now, with the work of the James Madison Carpenter Project these songs have come back to life first at Mystic Seaport Museum and, this summer, in their home waters of the Firth! Three Scottish Coast Rowing Clubs: Rowporty, Newhaven Coastal Rowing and Boatie Blest brought the songs home to the Firth at 7:30 pm on 20 June, 2012 near the Dalriada Bar. It was a memorable and historic evening!

Brewing Progress!

Terry Magill of the Darlriada Bar met with the fine folks from Inveralmond Brewery the other day to check the progress of the Dreg Songs Ale. The report was entirely positive – as far as anyone can remember . . .

Brewer Bob Hogg provided this background about the brewery:

The Inveralmond Brewery produce quality, award winning beers from their brewery on the outskirts of the City of Perth.

Established in 1997, Inveralmond was the first brewery in the area for 33 years. And it is an ideal area for brewing beer: the magnificent surrounding countryside and history has been the inspiration for the original recipes which, coupled with the Head Brewer’s experience, create beers of exceptional quality. The pure water sourced from Loch Turret, renowned as the main ingredient of the many famed whiskies once produced there, is an essential factor in the Inveralmond range of beers.

Managing Director Fergus Clark, a graduate in brewing from Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, founded the brewery and is supported by Head Brewer Ken Duncan.

You can read more about Inveralmond on their fascinating blog: Mash Tun Musings, or find them on Facebook (I have!) or Twitter.