The background on this page is the tune of the Duke of Roxborough

The Great Highland Bagpipe / History page

While a lot of people think the bagpipe originated in Scotland that is not true various regions all over Europe, the Caucasus, the Persian Gulf and Northern Africa had bagpipes of different designs. The first types of Bagpipes were around several centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ. There are two stories about how they came to Scotland with one story being they arrived in the British Isles with the Romans who liked making music and the other story is that they came from Ireland, between Scotland and Ireland they rose to their greatest level of popularity. Bagpipes were to be found in nearly every village in the 14th century.

Illawarra Pipe Band early 1970's decade with Bob Webber on the front right and John Hamilton on the back left are both still playing with Illawarra Pipe Band.

Illawarra Pipe Band early 1970's decade with Bob Webber on the front right

Bagpipes originally started with a bag which holds the air supply, a chanter which plays the melody notes and most likely a single drone, the drone plays a continuous note, the second drone was added in the late 1500s while the third or great drone emerged in the early 1700s. There are various types of Bagpipes in Scotland but the one to emerge as the national instrument is the Highland Bagpipe, the piob-mohr 'the Great Pipe'. The term "Bagpipe" can be used to refer to one, two, three, four or more, Wikipedia entry 'pipers most commonly talk of "the pipes", "a set of pipes", "a stand of pipes".