Caledonia: A Love Song to a Nation

In 1979 as he sat suffering from homesickness on a Brittany beach, Dougie Mclean wrote a song which would become an unofficial anthem of Scotland, and Scottish pride.

Listen to the lyrics of Caledonia and it is a love song, that could have been written for a person, but it's a lament for a country, and in the 34 years since he wrote it, the song has been adopted as a proud symbol of national identity, belted out in pubs, on football terraces and used to sell lager on TV.

As Scotland prepares to vote on whether it stays in the United Kingdom, Hardeep Singh Kohli explores the song which he says is part of the DNA of his country, and asks whether symbols of national pride like Caledonia have been hi-jacked by those campaigning to vote yes in next year's referendum. He also investigates the word Caledonia and how it has become such a potent symbol for Scots.

He meets Dougie Mclean who wrote the song to hear about its origins, and how although he still sings it as he tours the world, he has given the song over to the people of Scotland to use, and interpret as they see fit.