The bagpipes

The earliest reference to bagpipes is on a slab from Asia Minor which has been dated to 1000 BC. By the 1st century AD, bagpipes existed in many countries from India to Spain and from France to Egypt. When, and how, they did first appear in Scotland is a hotly contested topic with competing theories claiming they were either a Roman import or that the instrument came from Ireland. But no matter the type, all bagpipes have the same elements: a bag with a chanter (on which the melody was played) and one or more drones (pipes which play a continuous note).

While different styles of pipe emerged in Scotland, it is the Highland bagpipe which has emerged as a national instrument. These are blown by mouth and the bags were traditionally made from the skin of a sheep, although nowadays synthetic materials are used. The pipes themselves were originally made of bone or ivory, but hardwood is the modern choice.

The melody is played on a chanter leading down from the bag while the three drone pipes sit on the piper's shoulder and provide a constant, steady sound as a background to the melody.

So while they did not invent bagpipes, Scots can fairly claim to have made them their own through keeping them alive as part of their musical tradition and by making them one of the outstanding parts of their culture.

About the stamp: Fortunately, few -if any- of the Pipe Sargents of WWI are still able to protest. Note the upper hand "technique" ...