Scottish music is a huge part of Scottish civilisation. Spend any length of time here, a toe-tapping tune, a jovial trip the light fantastic and a hearty sing-a-long is nigh a guarantee, and it'south rarely a serenity affair.

Traditional Scottish music however reverberates around the country. Yous'll hear street pipers blast the pipes, energetic dabble sessions and the gentle melodies of folk songs echoing from inside pubs. And then, what happens when yous mix our traditional music with a spot of dancing? A proper Scottish night out!

Tune into toe-tapping Scottish songs, visit and experience Glasgow's vibrant music scene, and selection up on Scottish words and what they mean as yous travel around the country taking in the welcoming civilisation.

Scottish bagpipe music

Pipeband field Dundonald HG

As you travel around Scotland, iconic sounds of the bagpipes will make full the air, and it'south likely y'all'll hear a parade of pipers earlier you lot see them. You'll come up across pipers on loftier streets entertaining passers-by, in parades, at Highland games and during festivities throughout the yr in Scotland, besides as at gigs and music festivals.

Bagpipe music has strong connections to Gaelic civilisation and there are roughly two primary styles of music played on the bagpipes, Ceòl Mór and Ceòl Beag. In Gaelic, this means 'big music' and 'little music'. Ceòl Mór includes the pibroch style, a slow, more classical class of traditional bagpipe musical while Ceòl Beag includes things like jigs, reels, strathspeys and slow airs - the blazon of stuff that gets people on the trip the light fantastic toe floor.

Many museums and castles tell interesting tales almost the pipes amongst their collections, but if you're really keen to find out more than, your outset port of call should be the National Piping Centre in Glasgow. Exploring over 300 years of bagpipe history and featuring the oldest surviving chanter of the Highland bagpipe anywhere in the world, the museum at the middle is an excellent place to become acquainted with this iconic musical instrument.

You'll also oft hither bagpipes and traditional Scottish tunes played on Burns' Night, to celebrate Scotland'southward National Bard. Why non follow forth our Burns' Night Guide and host your own Burns' Supper? Tuck into some succulent food & drink, melt your own haggis and enhance a dram of whisky, or two.

Traditional Scottish music

Traditional music session pub

Of course, nosotros love the pipes, but Scottish music comes in several genres and it has played an important part in social and cultural life for generations of Scots. Folk music evenings and traditional music sessions still take place in many pubs around Scotland, where you lot can often plow upwards with your instrument of pick and just join in! And of course, there are pleny of trad music festivals and gigs held the length and breadth of the country twelvemonth round, or maybe y'all'd prefer to go your toes tapping at a summertime music festival.

Yous're besides probable to hear traditional music played in the streets in many of Scotland's cities, with buskers entertaining the crowds at all times of the year with stirring renditional of cute Scottish folk songs and classical fiddle tunes.

Y'all might hear instruments such as:

  • Fiddle
  • Piano accordion
  • Pipes and chanter
  • Guitar
  • Clarsach, a Scottish harp

If joining in with a session isn't enough, and so you might want to consider the wide range of events, festivals, workshops and residential courses that take place across Scotland where you can watch and participate in fantabulous traditional music events.