The History of Bagpipes

Today we get to discuss one our favourite things here at ScotlandShop, Bagpipes! Join us as we follow the ancient history of piping and explore this fascinating piece of Scottish musical history.

So let’s begin, there are many fascinating speculations on the origin of Scotland’s national instrument. The most popular being from as early as 400 BC with the ‘pipers of Thebes’ in the ancient Egyptian Army. These soldiers are reported to have been blowing pipes made from dog skin with chanters of bone. Sounds slightly disgusting but let's move on.

Dog skin pipes are not the only description of this captivating instrument from ancient history. In 64 AD Rome went through a great fire under the control of mad king Nero, the 5th and last emperor of Rome’s first dynasty. Nero was famous for many things, none of them good. He was notorious for his cruelty and debauchery after killing his mother and his two wives. So not a great guy, but he does play unsuspecting role in Scottish history. Nero was reported to have “fiddled while Rome burned” but this report is incorrect with him actually playing the pipes rather than a fiddle!

The Roman empire continued to grow, and the Roman Legions arrived in Scotland in 70AD. Whilst not having great success they held lands in modern-day Scotland for over 80 years. The Romans were even forced to build walls to hold out the strong Caledonian forces. Most famously Hadrian's wall and latterly Antonine Wall which was built in the modern day central belt of Scotland. The Roman emperor Hadrian built this wall as the frontier of the empire and to 'separate the barbarians from the Romans’. Antonine's wall was built as the new emperor wanted to impress but it failed after 20 years and they moved back to the previous wall. Us barbarians continued to attack the wall for over 300 years but the Romans held strong. During this time the great traditions of piping passed through to the Caledonian people.

The original pipes in Scotland probably had at the most, a single drone. (The drone is the key to making the sound as we know it today). The second drone was added to the pipes in the mid to late 1500s with its first written mention of the “Great Pipes” being in 1623.

The pipes were evolving in their actual size and within Scottish culture. In the 1500s bagpiping culture was actually split: in the Highlands if you could play the pipes, you were heavily respected throughout clan culture but in lowland town, they would only needed for events and did not command the same respect.

This all changed with The MacCrimmons who were pipers to the chiefs of Clan MacLeod for several generations. The MacCrimmon kindred was centred at Borreraig near the mighty Clan MacLeod seat at Dunvegan on the beautiful Isle of Skye (here is a great blog on the fascinating history of Clan MacLeod). At Borreraig the MacCrimmons conducted one of the best-known "piping colleges" in the Highlands of Scotland. They went on to teach generations of Scotland’s best pipers, even inspiring one of our famous faces found in this month’s clan of the month, MacNeil!

The great pipes were everything the invading English hated. The instrument was also heavily used within the Clan system as the skirl of the pipes helped spur on the troops to many a victory and were used in many great battles. The bagpipes were most famously played in the battle of Bannockburn signifying Scottish individuality and strength. Everything that a ruling country does not like…

The English banned bagpipes after the uprising of 1745. They were classified as an instrument of war by the loyalist government but within the clans, they were kept alive in secret. Anyone caught carrying pipes was punished, the same as any man that bore arms for Bonnie Prince Charlie, grandson of James II.

In 1746 in York, James Reid, a piper who bore no arms against the English king was tried for treason. The court concluded “no highland regiment ever marched without a piper and therefore his bagpipes in the eyes of the law, was an instrument of warfare”. His gruesome punishment was death on the 6th of November 1746. Piping was taken into the shadows of Scottish culture and tradition until the ban was lifted, then Highland Bagpipe playing really began to emerge.

Piping became very popular with Scottish soldiers who carried the instrument the world over making the haunting sound of the pipes more popular and encouraging others to learn. Soon came the Scottish Diaspora and through war the pipes became internationally famous around the world. Playing the pipes in battle was a treacherous job with over 1000 pipers being killed in WW1 alone. In September 1915 in the midst of the most brutal war the world had ever seen, the Scottish border company were under heavy fire and just been gas attacked. The soldiers were sick and tired with little fight left in them, until Piper Daniel Laidlaw. Laidlaw played “All the Blue Bonnets Over the Border” and soon the troops were forced "over the top". Laidlaw went "over the top" unarmed, shot and continued to play the bagpipes. This spurred the troops to victory and for this unbelievable effort he was awarded the Victoria Cross!

The heroics of pipers in war are not confined to WW1, as there are many heroic pipers in WWII most famously ,Bill Millin. Bill was the personnel piper for Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat, commander of 1st Special Service Brigade for the Normandy landings on D-Day. Despite piping being banned on the front line Fraser stated, "that’s the English War Office. You and I are both Scottish, and that doesn’t apply.” Bill Millin was the only man who wore a kilt on the landing on D-Day and he played “Hielan’ Laddie” and “The Road to the Isles” as men all around him fell under fire. According to Millin, he later talked to captured German snipers who claimed they did not shoot him because they thought he was mad!

Pipe bands can now be found all over the world and particularly in North America where Scots settled and Scottish traditions are practised with more enthusiasm than ever, with Highland Games attracting tens of thousands of visitors and featuring piping contests of the highest standard. Duns Pipe Band are our local pipers here in Scotland and in Albany we were lucky enough to have the Schenectady Pipe Band play at the opening of our new store. The pipes within Scotland not only reflects our early history, but also the evolution of our culture!

Wow what a great history! Who knew bagpipes went that far back in history? Whether you are a piper yourself or simply feel the back of your neck prickle with emotion at the sound of the pipes starting up, share your thoughts and piping stories through our social media.

The Great Highland Bagpipe

A recent BBC two documentary series, "Phil Cunningham's Pipe Dream" combined with a wonderful conversation with a customer looking for the perfect tartan fabric to re-cover his beloved pipes inspires our latest blog. Phil Cunningham's Pipe Dream was a surprisingly informative and entertaining series in which Phil (Scottish folk musician and composer) follows his dream to compose a brand new piece of music for the bagpipes reflecting his exploration of the history of piping both in Scotland further afield.

The Great Highland Bagpipe is synonymous with Scotland and has become a globally recognised icon of Scottish Culture. This recognition is largely due to the Highland Bagpipe's use within the British military as well as pipe bands throughout the world.

Massed Military Pipe Band

There is the well known cliché of the piper on the shortbread tin, but as soon as you experience the breath-taking power of hundreds of pipers playing in harmony, I defy anyone who doesn't then fall in love with the bagpipe.

I didn't realise just how much of a symbol for Scotland the bagpipe was until I ventured on a four month trip to India. I would begin introducing myself and explaining where I came from but it soon became apparent that Scotland was somewhat of an unknown. Two questions I was often asked in broken English were, "Is that England?" and "The Country with the Bagpipes?". As soon I could confirm no and yes within an instant people knew exactly where I was from.

There are dozens of different pipes in use around the world with many more lost in history, but the Great Highland bagpipe is undoubtedly the most visible and somewhat overshadows the variety of pipes still in use today due to it's popularity.

Within the heart of Edinburgh and London it's not uncommon to find many bagpiping buskers at popular tourist attractions bringing much joy to locals and tourists alike. Personally I find it hard to describe the emotions that the sound of the pipes evokes, linked to so many special occasions, my favourite being my newly wed sister and her husband walking from the church to the reception with our friend Pete piping her all the way. This week Boris Johnson the Mayor of London has effectively banned bagpipes from the streets of London unsurprisingly causing much uproar within the piping community. Having described the pipes as a “repetitive loud sound” the new rules may mean that once lucrative spots will now be out of bounds due to the volume of the pipes. Alastair Campbell however is very supportive of the bagpipe and told the Daily Record:

“Having been a ­bagpiping busker myself in my student days I am a great supporter of buskers in our towns and cities. They add a lot to life. Inevitably there are good and bad – that goes for any instrument – but the dismissive attitudes expressed in this advice reveal an unjustified bias against the pipes. I would certainly support any pipers who sought to have it changed."
 

Will piping in Piccadilly Circus become a thing of the past?

The uproar caused by this story shows just how passionate pipers are about their instrument and I feel the links to Scottish culture make this bond between player and instrument even stronger.

Now we know why the bagpipe is so important to Scotland, but how does it work?

All pipes are all based around the simple principal of a bag, chanter and drone. When combined these elements together to make what we know as the sound of the pipes. Although based upon simple principals the Great Highland Bagpipe is a complex instrument to learn and takes a lot of dedication and perseverance to develop the skills the required to play the pipes well. Although I imagine there must be an immense sense of accomplishment having mastered such an intricate instrument.

The making of the bag is mysterious process, and is a closely guarded secret of all bagpipe makers mainly due to the special seasoning mixture that treats the leather and seals any sections that might not be completely airtight. The bag is traditionally cut out of fine quality sheepskin which is perfect due to its porous skin which lets moisture out but also keeps the air in. There are many guesses as to what ingredients are included in the perfect seasoning mixture including honey, molasses, egg whites, glycerin, oil soap and pine cleaning fluid. Finlay MacDonald, one of the country's finest contemporary pipers shared his knowledge with the BBC.

Scottish pipes have three drones, two tenors which play the same note and the bass which plays an octave below. The drones are powered by drone reeds, a cylinder of wood split into two pieces for tuning purposes. Traditionally made from a piece of cane, it is now more common for synthetic drone reeds to be made using a plastic compound. Inside of the reed is the tongue which vibrated against the body of the reed once air passes over it, which doesn't sound impressive on it's own, but as soon as this is placed within the drone, the pipes are awakened.

The chanter is the starting point for anyone wishing to learn how to play the bagpipe, spending many hours practising before even considering moving on to the bagpipes them self . The finger holes share a familiarity with a recorder, so maybe those days of learning recorder at primary school will come in handy if you are planning to learn the bagpipe in the near future. Inside the chanter is a small reed made of cane but like the drones this is increasingly being made in a synthetic plastic material.

The future of Piping

Without the bagpipe Scotland would lose it's infamous sound. The pipe is linked to so many other aspects of Scotland's culture that without it we would lost much more than an instrument. Pipe bands across the world are doing a fantastic job of keeping these traditions alive, with many enthusiastic young pipers prepared to pass these skills on to future generations. We would love to hear your thoughts on the future of piping and what emotions or special events come into your head when you hear that amazing sound.

The next generation of piping