Rob MacKillop
Flowers of the Forest
Greentrax CDTRAX 155, 1998
The undisputed master of the historical Scottish lute repertory presents a selection of pieces from 17th and 18th century manuscripts, played on a selection of different historical plucked fretted instruments. The selections are mostly Scots song airs and tunes, but there is also a wonderful selection of 'ports' - the old Gaelic harp repertory, preserved by the lute players in the 17th century.
£13 + £1.50 (UK only - select for overseas postage) £2.50 (Airmail within Europe) £3.50 (Airmail outside Europe)

Jonathan Dunford & Rob MacKillop
Love is the Cause
Alpha 530, 2011
A beautiful and sensitive recording of 17th and 18th century Scottish tunes for viola da gamba (bass viol) and baroque guitar. The bass viol has its own notated repertory of Scots tunes from the late 17th and early 18th century, and I think this is the first time that any of it has been recorded. From a harpist’s point of view, there is only one tune from the harp repertory on this CD - A Port from Straloch, played by Rob on guitar. It’s a slight disappointment to me that they did not include any of the harp tunes that are preserved in the viol manuscripts. Also worth bearing in mind that Francis Bacon described the bass viol as being a particularly effective match with the Gaelic harp. But those harp-specific thoughts aside, this is a superb chance to hear these delicate Scots airs performed with grace and period style, and presented so nicely in a little book format with lovely black-and-white photographs of the musicians recording on location in an old Edinburgh house.
£13 + £1.50 (UK only - select for overseas postage) £2.50 (Airmail within Europe) £3.50 (Airmail outside Europe)