The Road To Dundee Guitar Chords And Lyrics
A traditional Scottish song made popular from the singing of Andy Stewart. Theres two sets of chords here, the first is in Dm and the second in Am. The ukulele chord shapes along with the sheet music and tin whistle notes are included. The song was also recorded by The Corries, Daniel O'Donnell and by Bert Jansch. Return to the section of Scottish song lyrics .
[Dm]Cold winter was howlin' o'er [C]moorland and mountain
And [Dm]wild was the [C]surge of the [Dm]dark rolling [Am]sea
When I [Dm]met about daybreak a [C]bonnie young lassie
Who [Dm]asked me the [C]road and the [Dm]miles to Dun[Am]dee.
Says [Dm]I, "My young lassie, I [C]canna weel tell ye,
The [Am]road and the [Dm]distance I [C]canna weel gie,
But [Am]if you'll per[F]mit me to [C]gang a wee bittie,
I'll [Dm]show you the [C]road and the [Dm]miles to Dun[Am]dee."
The lassie consented and gie me her airm
Not a word did I speir wha the lassie micht be
She appeared like an angel in feature and form
As she walked by my side on the road to Dundee.
At length wi' the howe o' Strathmartine behind us
The spires o' the toon in full view we could see,
She said, "Gentle sir, I can never forget ye
For showin' me so far on the road to Dundee.
This ring and this purse please accept as a token
And surely there's somethin' that ye can gi'e me,
That in years to come I'll the laddie remember
Who showed me the road and the miles to Dundee?"
I took the gold pin frae the scarf on my bosom,
And said, "Tak' ye this, in remembrance o' me",
And bravely I kissed the sweet lips o' the lassie
And I pairted frae her on the road to Dundee.
So here's tae the lassie; I canna forget her,
And ilka young laddie wha's listenin' to me,
O never be sweir to convey a young lassie,
Though it's only to show her the road to Dundee.
Here's The Chords In The Key Of Am
[Am]Cold winter was howlin' o'er [G]moorland and mountain
And [Am]wild was the [G]surge of the [Am]dark rolling [Em]sea
When I [Am]met about daybreak a [G]bonnie young lassie
Who [Am]asked me the [G]road and the [Am]miles to Dun[Em]dee.
Says [Am]I, "My young lassie, I [G]canna weel tell ye,
The [Em]road and the [Am]distance I [G]canna weel gie,
But [Em]if you'll per[C]mit me to [G]gang a wee bittie,
I'll [Am]show you the [G]road and the [Am]miles to Dun[Em]dee."
“The Road and the Miles to Dundee” is one of the great Scottish ballads. It flows nicely in 3/4 time (a waltz feel) — gentle but steady, suiting the storytelling style.
Let’s build both a strumming pattern and a fingerpicking tab for the first verse, arranged for solo acoustic guitar in Am.
🎸 Strumming Pattern (3/4 Folk Waltz Style)
Pattern:
↓ ↓↑ ↑↓↑
(counted as: 1 2& 3&)
On beat 1, hit the bass note (thumb or pick).
On beats 2 & 3, strum lightly across the treble strings.
Keep it flowing and circular — think “oom–cha–cha.”
Example (Am):
| Am | Am |
Bass↓ Down-Up Up-Down-Up
Alternate bass motion suggestion:
Am → alternate between A (5th) and E (6th) strings
G → alternate between G (6th) and D (4th) strings
Em → alternate between E (6th) and D (4th) strings
C → alternate between C (5th) and G (6th) strings
🎵 Fingerpicking Tab (first verse)
This version uses a Travis-style 3/4 arpeggio:
Thumb (p) plays alternating bass
Index (i) on G, middle (m) on B, ring (a) on high E
Each measure = one chord (unless lyrics change faster).
Verse 1 Fingerpicking Tab
Am G
e|-------0-------------0-------|-------3-------------3-------|
B|-----1---1---------1---1-----|-----0---0---------0---0-----|
G|---2-------2-----2-------2---|---0-------0-----0-------0---|
D|------------------------------|-----------------------------|
A|-0-----------0----------------|-----------------------------|
E|------------------------------|-3-----------3---------------|
Cold winter was howlin' o'er moorland and mountain
Am G Am Em
e|-------0-------------0-------|-------3-------------3-------|
B|-----1---1---------1---1-----|-----0---0---------0---0-----|
G|---2-------2-----2-------2---|---0-------0-----0-------0---|
D|------------------------------|-----------------------------|
A|-0-----------0----------------|-----------------------------|
E|------------------------------|-0-----------0---------------|
And wild was the surge of the dark rolling sea
Am G
e|-------0-------------0-------|-------3-------------3-------|
B|-----1---1---------1---1-----|-----0---0---------0---0-----|
G|---2-------2-----2-------2---|---0-------0-----0-------0---|
D|------------------------------|-----------------------------|
A|-0-----------0----------------|-----------------------------|
E|------------------------------|-3-----------3---------------|
When I met about daybreak a bonnie young lassie
Am G Am Em
e|-------0-------------0-------|-------3-------------3-------|
B|-----1---1---------1---1-----|-----0---0---------0---0-----|
G|---2-------2-----2-------2---|---0-------0-----0-------0---|
D|------------------------------|-----------------------------|
A|-0-----------0----------------|-----------------------------|
E|------------------------------|-0-----------0---------------|
Who asked me the road and the miles to Dundee
🎶 Style Notes
Let each bass note ring slightly into the next for flow.
Keep your picking soft and legato — think of a gentle storytelling rhythm.
For extra color, you can occasionally hammer-on in Am (0→2 on G string) as an ornament.
Let’s build both a strumming pattern and a fingerpicking tab for the first verse, arranged for solo acoustic guitar in Am.
🎸 Strumming Pattern (3/4 Folk Waltz Style)
Pattern:
↓ ↓↑ ↑↓↑
(counted as: 1 2& 3&)
On beat 1, hit the bass note (thumb or pick).
On beats 2 & 3, strum lightly across the treble strings.
Keep it flowing and circular — think “oom–cha–cha.”
Example (Am):
| Am | Am |
Bass↓ Down-Up Up-Down-Up
Alternate bass motion suggestion:
Am → alternate between A (5th) and E (6th) strings
G → alternate between G (6th) and D (4th) strings
Em → alternate between E (6th) and D (4th) strings
C → alternate between C (5th) and G (6th) strings
🎵 Fingerpicking Tab (first verse)
This version uses a Travis-style 3/4 arpeggio:
Thumb (p) plays alternating bass
Index (i) on G, middle (m) on B, ring (a) on high E
Each measure = one chord (unless lyrics change faster).
Verse 1 Fingerpicking Tab
Am G
e|-------0-------------0-------|-------3-------------3-------|
B|-----1---1---------1---1-----|-----0---0---------0---0-----|
G|---2-------2-----2-------2---|---0-------0-----0-------0---|
D|------------------------------|-----------------------------|
A|-0-----------0----------------|-----------------------------|
E|------------------------------|-3-----------3---------------|
Cold winter was howlin' o'er moorland and mountain
Am G Am Em
e|-------0-------------0-------|-------3-------------3-------|
B|-----1---1---------1---1-----|-----0---0---------0---0-----|
G|---2-------2-----2-------2---|---0-------0-----0-------0---|
D|------------------------------|-----------------------------|
A|-0-----------0----------------|-----------------------------|
E|------------------------------|-0-----------0---------------|
And wild was the surge of the dark rolling sea
Am G
e|-------0-------------0-------|-------3-------------3-------|
B|-----1---1---------1---1-----|-----0---0---------0---0-----|
G|---2-------2-----2-------2---|---0-------0-----0-------0---|
D|------------------------------|-----------------------------|
A|-0-----------0----------------|-----------------------------|
E|------------------------------|-3-----------3---------------|
When I met about daybreak a bonnie young lassie
Am G Am Em
e|-------0-------------0-------|-------3-------------3-------|
B|-----1---1---------1---1-----|-----0---0---------0---0-----|
G|---2-------2-----2-------2---|---0-------0-----0-------0---|
D|------------------------------|-----------------------------|
A|-0-----------0----------------|-----------------------------|
E|------------------------------|-0-----------0---------------|
Who asked me the road and the miles to Dundee
🎶 Style Notes
Let each bass note ring slightly into the next for flow.
Keep your picking soft and legato — think of a gentle storytelling rhythm.
For extra color, you can occasionally hammer-on in Am (0→2 on G string) as an ornament.
Road To Dundee Sheet Music
The road to Dundee sheet music lyrics and chords
