There are just a few things that you can’t imagine Scotland without.One of them is wood wind instrument that usually is composed of reeds and a kind of bag full of air. What’s the name of that instrument? Bagpipes naturally. We have differing kinds of bagpipes relying on country that they were made and use in. As in all nations they’re the same instruments but even the sounds they give are dissimilar. The most famed bagpipes are the Scottish one. Though the history demonstrates that bagpipes, as an instrument at all, were invented somewhere else. First bagpipes are even recorded around four hundred BC and they were made from dogskin (bag) and bones (chanters).

In some sources there is claimed that this instrument was brought to Brit Isles from Rome in 8th century and became popular 400 years on. Just a few examples of bagpipes from before eighteenth century left. They show the art of making pipe was not developed back then. When only appeared in the UK they started to play a great role. Specifically in Scotland were pipers occurred of the harpers in the 16th century. After 2 centuries some major studies about this instrument appeared as as an example William Dixon’s from Northumberland manuscript (1730). The great role of nationwide instrument they’re playing minimized when the western classical music developed and a production of instruments connected with it. Other bits of the world got data about existing of that sort of instrument thanks to enlargement of Brit Empire.

Also a big numbers of pipers were schooled to join army service and take part in First and 2nd World War, were pipes become famous on the full world. Police forces in Scotland or Canada have formed pipe bands and a few of them existence until today ( f.e.The Tayside Police Pipe band that was set up in 1905 ). In different states (UK, New Zealand) bagpipes were used (and still are) in formal ceremonies.

Today it’s become a standard convention to play bagpipes for army and police funerals, commonly at the funerals of high-ranking civilian public officials, and at more content gatherings as marriages, dances and parties. They’re still played in a commercial and noncommercial ways. Bagpipes are also well known in folk music. As it comes to materials and its appearance in a number of cases they do not differ so much as the one played in Middle Ages, made from wood and animal skins, and in some other cases they’re fully new – have bags made from gore tex or bring and electronic sound. Aside from all that history side at the 21st century bagpipes is still one of the things that first appear in our mind when we think about Scotland. It’s so powerful image that Scotland means tartan (pattern and material), Scottish gifts (kilt, cashmere headband), picnics spent on the warm blankets and bagpipes. The history demonstrates that Bagpipes roots are in fully different place but Scottish folk love the sound of bagpipes the most.