Music of Scotland

[[Scotland]] is internationally known for its traditional music, often known as [[Scottish folk music]],<ref name="scotland.org">{{cite web |title=Scottish Music and Festivals {{!}} Scotland.org |url=https://www.scotland.org/about-scotland/culture/music/traditional-music |website=Scotland |access-date=4 October 2024 |language=en}}</ref> which remained vibrant throughout the 20th century and into the 21st when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to [[pop music]]. Traditional Scottish music comprises a variety of different styles such as [[ballad]]s, [[Reel (dance)|reels]], [[jig]]s and [[Air (music)|airs]].<ref name="visitscotland.com">{{cite web |title=Traditional Scottish Music: Instruments, Songs & Gigs |url=https://www.visitscotland.com/things-to-do/events/music-festivals/traditional-folk |website=VisitScotland |access-date=4 October 2024 |language=en-gb}}</ref> Traditional Scottish music is closely associated with the [[bagpipes]] which is credited as having a prominent role in traditional music originating from the country.<ref name="scotland.org"/> The bagpipes are considered an "iconic Scottish instrument" with a history dating back to the 15th century.<ref name="visitscotland.com"/> Other notable Scottish instruments include the [[tin whistle]], the [[accordion]] and the [[fiddle]].<ref name="visitscotland.com"/>

The origins of Scottish music are said to have originated over 2,300 years ago following the discovery of Western Europe's first known stringed instrument which was a "lyre-like artefact", which was discovered on the [[Isle of Skye]]. The earliest known traces of published Scottish music dates from 1662. John Forbes of [[Aberdeen]] published the earliest printed collection of music in Scotland which ultimately became recognised as the first known published collection featuring traditional Scottish songs.<ref name="visitscotland.com"/> Modern contemporary Scottish musicians within popular genres of rock, pop, and dance include [[Chris Connelly (musician)]], [[Calvin Harris]], [[Paolo Nutini]], [[Amy Macdonald]], [[Lewis Capaldi]], [[Shirley Manson]], [[Lulu (singer)|Lulu]], [[Sheena Easton]], [[Susan Boyle]], [[KT Tunstall]], [[Emeli Sande]], and [[Nina Nesbitt]]. Successful bands originating from Scotland include [[Travis (band)|Travis]], [[Texas (band)|Texas]], [[Simple Minds]], the [[Bay City Rollers]], [[the Jesus and Mary Chain]], [[the Fratellis]], [[Glasvegas]] and the [[Cocteau Twins]].

Music in Scotland is celebrated and recognised in a variety of different methods such as music festivals and award ceremonies. The countries major music festival, [[TRNSMT]] replaced the former [[T in the Park]], and is held annually in July in [[Glasgow Green]]. Other music festivals include [[Celtic Connections]], [[Eden Festival]], [[Glasgow Summer Sessions]], the [[Skye Live Festival]] and the [[Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo]]. Scottish music is celebrated through awards such as the [[Scottish Album of the Year Award]], the [[Scots Trad Music Awards]], the [[Scottish Alternative Music Awards]] and the [[Scottish Music Awards]].

==Early music== {{Main|Early music of the British Isles}} [[File:Monifeithpictishharper.jpg|thumb|The harper on the Monifeith Pictish Stone, 700 – 900 AD]] [[String instrument|Stringed instruments]] have been known in Scotland since at least the [[Iron Age]]. The first evidence of [[lyre]]s was found in the [[Greco-Roman]] period on the [[Isle of Skye]] (dating from 2300 BCE), making it Europe's oldest surviving stringed instrument.<ref name="news.stv.tv"> {{Cite web|url=http://news.stv.tv/scotland/highlands-islands/301843-europes-oldest-stringed-instrument-discovered-on-scots-isle/ |title='Europe's oldest stringed instrument' discovered on Scots island |website=News.stv.tv |access-date=9 January 2021 }}</ref><ref name="bbc.co.uk"> {{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-17537147 |title=Skye cave find western Europe's 'earliest string instrument' |date=28 March 2012|publisher=BBC News }}</ref> [[Bards]] acted as musicians but also as poets, storytellers, historians, genealogists, and lawyers, relying on an oral tradition that stretched back generations in Scotland as well as Wales and Ireland.<ref> M. J. Green, ''The Celtic World'' (London: Routledge, 1996), {{ISBN|0-415-14627-5}}, p. 428. </ref> Often accompanying themselves on the [[harp]], they can be seen in records of Scottish courts throughout the medieval period.<ref> W. McLeod, ''Divided Gaels: Gaelic Cultural Identities in Scotland and Ireland, C.1200-c.1650'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), {{ISBN|0-19-924722-6}}, p. 102. </ref> Scottish church music from the later Middle Ages was increasingly influenced by continental developments, with figures like the 13th-century musical theorist Simon Tailler studying in Paris before returning to Scotland, where he introduced several reforms of church music.<ref name="Elliott1973"> K. Elliott and F. Rimmer, ''A History of Scottish Music'' (London: British Broadcasting Corporation, 1973), {{ISBN|0-563-12192-0}}, pp. 8–12. </ref> Scottish collections of music, like the 13th-century "Wolfenbüttel 677", which is associated with [[St Andrews]], contain mostly French compositions but with some distinctive local styles.<ref name="Elliott1973"/> The captivity of [[James I of Scotland|James I]] in England from 1406 to 1423, where he earned a reputation as a poet and composer, may have led him to bring English and continental styles and musicians back to the Scottish court on his release.<ref name="Elliott1973"/> In the late 15th century, a series of Scottish musicians trained in the Netherlands before returning home, including John Broune, Thomas Inglis and John Fety. The latter became master of the song school in [[Aberdeen]] and then [[Edinburgh]], introducing the new five-fingered organ playing technique.<ref name="Wormald1991">J. Wormald, ''Court, Kirk, and Community: Scotland, 1470–1625'' (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1991), {{ISBN|0-7486-0276-3}}, pp. 58 and 118.</ref>

In 1501 James IV re-founded the Chapel Royal within [[Stirling Castle]] with a new and enlarged choir and it became the focus of Scottish liturgical music. Burgundian and English influences were probably reinforced when [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]]'s daughter [[Margaret Tudor]] married [[James IV of Scotland|James IV]] in 1503.<ref name="Gosman2003">M. Gosman, A. A. MacDonald, A. J. Vanderjagt and A. Vanderjagt, ''Princes and Princely Culture, 1450–1650'' (Brill, 2003), {{ISBN|90-04-13690-8}}, p. 163.</ref> James V (1512–42) was a major patron of music. A talented lute player, he introduced French [[chansons]] and [[Consort of instruments|consorts of viols]] to his court and was patron to composers such as [[David Peebles]] (c. 1510–1579?).<ref>J. Patrick, ''Renaissance and Reformation'' (London: Marshall Cavendish, 2007), {{ISBN|0-7614-7650-4}}, p. 1264.</ref>

The [[Scottish Reformation]], directly influenced by [[Calvinism]], was generally opposed to church music, leading to the removal of organs and a growing emphasis on [[metrical psalms]], including a setting by [[David Peebles]] commissioned by [[James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray]].<ref name="Wormald1991"/> The most important work in Scottish reformed music was probably ''A Form of Prayers,'' published in Edinburgh in 1564.<ref name="Wilson1996">R. M. Wilson, ''Anglican Chant and Chanting in England, Scotland, and America, 1660 to 1820'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996), {{ISBN|0-19-816424-6}}, pp. 146–7 and 196–7.</ref> The return in 1561 from France of [[James V]]'s daughter [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], renewed the Scottish court as a centre of musical patronage and performance. The Queen played the lute and [[virginals]] and, unlike her father, was a fine singer.<ref name="Frazer1969">A. Frazer, ''Mary Queen of Scots'' (London: Book Club Associates, 1969), pp. 206–7.</ref> She brought many influences from the French court where she had been educated, employing lutenists and viola players in her household.<ref>M. Spring, ''The Lute in Britain: A History of the Instrument and Its Music'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006), {{ISBN|0-19-518838-1}}, p. 452.</ref> Mary's position as a Catholic gave a new lease of life to the choir of the Scottish Chapel Royal in her reign, but the destruction of Scottish church organs meant that instrumentation to accompany the mass had to employ bands of musicians with trumpets, drums, [[Fife (instrument)|fifes]], bagpipes and [[Tabor (instrument)|tabors]].<ref name="Frazer1969"/>

The outstanding Scottish composer of the era was [[Robert Carver (composer)|Robert Carver]] (c. 1485–c. 1570) whose works included the nineteen-part motet 'O Bone Jesu'.<ref name="Gosman2003" /> [[James VI and I|James VI]], King of Scotland from 1567, was a major patron of the arts in general. He rebuilt the Chapel Royal at Stirling in 1594, and the choir was used for state occasions like the baptism of his son Henry.<ref name="LeHuray1978">P. Le Huray, ''Music and the Reformation in England, 1549–1660'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1978), {{ISBN|0-521-21958-2}}, pp. 83–5.</ref> He followed the tradition of employing lutenists for his private entertainment, as did other members of his family.<ref name="Carter2005">T. Carter and J. Butt, ''The Cambridge History of Seventeenth-Century Music'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005), {{ISBN|0-521-79273-8}}, pp. 280, 300, 433 and 541.</ref> When he came south to take the throne of England in 1603 as James I, he removed one of the major sources of patronage in Scotland. The Scottish Chapel Royal was now used only for occasional state visits, as when [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] returned in 1633 to be crowned, bringing many musicians from the English Chapel Royal for the service, it began to fall into disrepair.<ref name="LeHuray1978" /> From now on the court in Westminster would be the only major source of royal musical patronage.<ref name="LeHuray1978" />

==Folk music== {{Main|Scottish folk music}} [[Image:Allan-highlandwedding1780 detail2.JPG|thumb|left|upright|A detail from ''The Highland Wedding'' by [[David Allan (Scottish painter 1744-1796)|David Allan]], 1780]]

There is evidence that there was a flourishing culture of popular music in Scotland during the late Middle Ages, but the only song with a melody to survive from this period is the ''Pleugh Song''.<ref name="Baxter2001app130-33">J. R. Baxter, "Music, ecclesiastical", in M. Lynch, ed., ''The Oxford Companion to Scottish History'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), {{ISBN|0-19-211696-7}}, pp. 130–33.</ref> After the [[Scottish Reformation|Reformation]], the secular popular tradition of music continued, despite attempts by the [[Church of Scotland|Kirk]], particularly in the Lowlands, to suppress dancing and events like [[penny wedding]]s.<ref name=Porterp22>J. Porter, "Introduction" in J. Porter, ed., ''Defining Strains: The Musical Life of Scots in the Seventeenth Century'' (Peter Lang, 2007), {{ISBN|3-03910-948-0}}, p. 22.</ref> This period saw the creation of the ceòl mór (the great music) of the bagpipe, which reflected its martial origins with battle tunes, marches, gatherings, salutes, and laments.<ref>J. E. A. Dawson, ''Scotland Re-Formed, 1488–1587'' (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007), {{ISBN|0-7486-1455-9}}, p. 169.</ref> The Highlands in the early seventeenth century saw the development of piping families, including the [[MacCrimmon (piping family)|MacCrimmonds]], MacArthurs, [[Clan Gregor|MacGregors]] and Mackays of [[Gairloch]]. There is also evidence of the adoption of the fiddle in the Highlands, with [[Martin Martin]] noting in his ''A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland'' (1703) that he knew of 18 players in Lewis alone.<ref name=Porterp35>J. Porter, "Introduction" in J. Porter, ed., ''Defining Strains: The Musical Life of Scots in the Seventeenth Century'' (Peter Lang, 2007), {{ISBN|3-03910-948-0}}, p. 35.</ref> Well-known musicians included the fiddler Pattie Birnie and the piper [[Habbie Simpson]].<ref name=Porterp22/> This tradition continued into the nineteenth century, with major figures such as the fiddlers [[Niel Gow|Niel]] and [[Nathaniel Gow]].<ref name="Baxter2001app140-1">J. R. Baxter, "Culture, Enlightenment (1660–1843): music", in M. Lynch, ed., ''The Oxford Companion to Scottish History'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), {{ISBN|0-19-211696-7}}, pp. 140–1.</ref> There is evidence of [[ballad]]s from this period. Some may date back to the late Medieval era and deal with events and people that can be traced back as far as the thirteenth century.<ref>E. Lyle, ''Scottish Ballads'' (Edinburgh: Canongate Books, 2001), {{ISBN|0-86241-477-6}}, pp. 9–10.</ref> They remained an oral tradition until they were collected as folk songs in the eighteenth century.<ref name=Broadview2006>"Popular Ballads" ''The Broadview Anthology of British Literature: The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century'' (Broadview Press, 2006), pp. 610–17.</ref>

{{anchor|Folk song collecting}} The earliest printed collection of secular music comes from the seventeenth century.<ref>M. Patrick, ''Four Centuries of Scottish Psalmody'' (Read books, 2008), pp. 119–20.</ref> Song collecting began to gain momentum in the early eighteenth century, and as the Kirk's opposition to music waned, there was a flood of publications, including [[Allan Ramsay (poet)|Allan Ramsay]]'s verse compendium ''The Tea Table Miscellany'' (1723)<ref name=Porterp22/> and ''[[The Scots Musical Museum]]'' (1787–1803) by James Johnson and [[Robert Burns]].<ref>M. Gardiner, ''Modern Scottish Culture'' (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2005), pp. 193–4.</ref> In the late nineteenth century, there was renewed interest in traditional music, which was more academic and political in intent.<ref name="Sweers2005pp31-8">B. Sweers, ''Electric Folk: The Changing Face of English Traditional Music'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005), {{ISBN|978-0-19-517478-6}}, pp. 31–8.</ref> In Scotland collectors included the Reverend James Duncan and [[Gavin Greig]]. Major performers included [[James Scott Skinner]].<ref name="Baxter2001cpp434-5">J. R. Baxter, "Music, Highland", in M. Lynch, ed., ''The Oxford Companion to Scottish History'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), {{ISBN|0-19-211696-7}}, pp. 434–5.</ref> This revival began to have a major impact on classical music, with the development of what was in effect a national school of orchestral and operatic music in Scotland, with composers that included [[Alexander Mackenzie (composer)|Alexander Mackenzie]], [[William Wallace (Scottish composer)|William Wallace]], [[Learmont Drysdale]], [[Hamish MacCunn]] and [[John Blackwood McEwen|John McEwen]].<ref name=Gardiner2005p195-6>M. Gardiner, ''Modern Scottish Culture'' (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2005), {{ISBN|0-7486-2027-3}}, pp. 195–6.</ref>

[[File:Runrig, farewell at Stirling, 18-08-2018.jpg|thumb|right|The folk band [[Runrig]] sang mostly in [[Scottish Gaelic]] and found commercial success in mainland Europe.]] [[File:2017 KT Tunstall - by 2eight - DSC4128.jpg|thumb|right|[[KT Tunstall]] has incorporated folk music with rock, earning her international success through the 2000s–2020s.]]

After World War II, traditional music in Scotland was marginalized but remained a living tradition. This marginal status was changed by individuals including [[Alan Lomax]], [[Hamish Henderson]] and [[Peter Douglas Kennedy|Peter Kennedy]] through collecting, publications, recordings, and radio programmes.<ref name="Sweers2005pp256-7">B. Sweers, ''Electric Folk: The Changing Face of English Traditional Music'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005), {{ISBN|978-0-19-517478-6}}, pp. 256–7.</ref> Acts that were popularised included [[John Strachan (singer)|John Strachan]], [[Jimmy MacBeath]], [[Jeannie Robertson]] and [[Flora MacNeil]].<ref>C. MacDougall, ''Scots: The Language of the People'' (Black & White, 2006), p. 246.</ref> In the 1960s, there was a flourishing [[folk club]] culture and [[Ewan MacColl]] emerged as a leading figure in the revival in Britain.<ref name=Broughtonetal1999p261-3>S. Broughton, M. Ellingham and R. Trillo, eds, ''World Music: Africa, Europe and the Middle East'' (London: Rough Guides, 1999), {{ISBN|1-85828-635-2}}, pp. 261–3.</ref> They hosted traditional performers, including Donald Higgins and the [[Belle Stewart|Stewarts of Blairgowrie]], alongside English performers and new Scottish revivalists such as [[Robin Hall]], [[Jimmie Macgregor]], [[The Corries]] and the [[Ian Campbell Folk Group]].<ref name="Sweers2005pp256-7"/> There was also a strand of popular Scottish music that benefited from the arrival of radio and television, which relied on images of Scottishness derived from [[tartanry]] and stereotypes employed in [[music hall]] and [[Variety show|variety]]. This was exemplified by the TV programme ''[[The White Heather Club]]'' which ran from 1958 to 1967, hosted by [[Andy Stewart (musician)|Andy Stewart]] and starring [[Moira Anderson]] and [[Kenneth McKellar (singer)|Kenneth McKellar]].<ref>P. Simpson, ''The Rough Guide to Cult Pop'' (London: Rough Guides, 2003), {{ISBN|1-84353-229-8}}, p. 140.</ref>

The fusing of various styles of American music with British folk created a distinctive form of [[fingerstyle guitar]] playing known as [[folk baroque]], pioneered by figures including [[Davey Graham]] and [[Bert Jansch]]. Others such as [[Donovan]] and [[The Incredible String Band]] abandoned the traditional element and have been seen as developing [[psychedelic folk]].<ref name="Sweers2005pp31-8"/> Acoustic groups who continued to interpret traditional material through into the 1970s included [[The Tannahill Weavers]], [[Ossian (band)|Ossian]], [[Silly Wizard]], [[The Boys of the Lough]], [[Battlefield Band]], [[The Clutha]] and the Whistlebinkies.<ref name=Broughtonetal1999p267>S. Broughton, M. Ellingham and R. Trillo, eds, ''World Music: Africa, Europe and the Middle East'' (London: Rough Guides, 1999), {{ISBN|1-85828-635-2}}, pp. 267.</ref>

[[Celtic rock]] developed as a variant of [[British folk rock]] by Scottish groups including the [[JSD Band]] and Spencer's Feat. [[Five Hand Reel]], who combined Irish and Scottish personnel, emerged as the most successful exponents of the style.<ref>C. Larkin, ''The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' (Guinness, 1992), p. 869.</ref> From the late 1970s on, the attendance at and numbers of folk clubs began to decrease as new musical and social trends began to dominate. However, in Scotland, the circuit of [[ceilidh]]s and festivals helped sustain traditional music.<ref name="Sweers2005pp31-8"/> Two of the most successful groups of the 1980s that emerged from this dance band circuit were [[Runrig]] and [[Capercaillie (band)|Capercaillie]].<ref>B. Sweers, ''Electric Folk: The Changing Face of English Traditional Music'' (Oxford University Press, 2005), {{ISBN|978-0-19-517478-6}}, p. 259.</ref> "[[An Ubhal as Àirde (The Highest Apple)]]" by Runrig made history by becoming the first song to be sung in [[Scottish Gaelic]] to chart on the UK Singles Charts,<ref>{{cite web |title=RUNRIG – The Story (Ridge RR078) |url=https://folking.com/runrig-the-story-ridge-rr078/ |website=Folking.com |access-date=2 September 2024 |date=22 January 2016}}</ref> peaking at number eighteen on the UK Singles Charts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Official Singles Chart on 30/4/1995 |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19950430/7501/ |website=Official Charts |access-date=6 September 2024 |language=en}}</ref> It also became a top five single for the band in Scotland, debuting at number three on the Scottish Singles Charts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 30/4/1995 |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/19950430/41/ |website=Official Charts |access-date=6 September 2024 |language=en}}</ref> At the height of their success during the 1980s and 1990s, Runrig were described by ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' as one of the "most celebrated" Gaelic language bands in Scotland.<ref>{{cite web |title=Billboard - May 6, 1995 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vgsEAAAAMBAJ&q=An+Ubhal+as+%C3%80irde+%28The+Highest+Apple%29&pg=PA83 |website=Billboard Magazine |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |access-date=3 September 2024 |language=en |date=6 May 1995}}</ref>

A by-product of the [[Scottish people#Scottish people abroad|Celtic Diaspora]] was the existence of large communities across the world that looked for their cultural roots and identity to their origins in the Celtic nations. From the US, this includes Scottish bands [[Seven Nations (band)|Seven Nations]], [[Prydein (band)|Prydein]] and [[Flatfoot 56]]. From Canada are bands such as [[Enter the Haggis]], [[Great Big Sea]], [[The Real McKenzies]] and [[Spirit of the West]].<ref>J. Herman, "British Folk-Rock; Celtic Rock", ''The Journal of American Folklore,'' 107, (425), (1994) pp. 54–8.</ref> Since the early 2000s, Scotland has experienced a growing wave of small acoustic folk duos and instrumental groups blending traditional dance tunes with modern arrangements. This period has seen increased festival activity, independent album releases, and rising international interest in Scottish acoustic folk music.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Douglas |first=Aileen |year=2022 |title=The New Scottish Folk Movement |journal=Scottish Music Review}}</ref>

==Classical music== {{Main|Classical music in Scotland|opera in Scotland}} [[Image:6thEarlOfKellie.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Thomas Erskine, 6th Earl of Kellie]], the first Scot known to have produced a symphony]] The development of a distinct tradition of [[art music]] in Scotland was limited by the impact of the [[Scottish Reformation]] on [[ecclesiastical music]] from the sixteenth century. Concerts, largely composed of "Scottish airs", developed in the seventeenth century and classical instruments were introduced to the country. Music in Edinburgh prospered through the patronage of figures including the merchant Sir [[John Clerk of Penicuik]].<ref name="Baxter2001app140-1"/> The Italian style of classical music was probably first brought to Scotland by the cellist and composer Lorenzo Bocchi, who travelled to Scotland in the 1720s.<ref>R. Cowgill and P. Holman, "Introduction: centres and peripheries", in R. Cowgill and P. Holman, eds, ''Music in the British Provinces, 1690–1914'' (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2007), {{ISBN|0-7546-3160-5}}, p. 4.</ref> The Musical Society of Edinburgh was incorporated in 1728.<ref>E. G. Breslaw, ''Doctor Alexander Hamilton and Provincial America'' (Louisiana State University Press, 2008), {{ISBN|0-8071-3278-0}}, p. 41.</ref> Several Italian musicians were active in the capital in this period and there are several known Scottish composers in the classical style, including [[Thomas Erskine, 6th Earl of Kellie]], the first Scot known to have produced a [[symphony]].<ref name=Wilson2004p33>N. Wilson, ''Edinburgh'' (Lonely Planet, 3rd edn., 2004), {{ISBN|1-74059-382-0}}, p. 33.</ref>

In the mid-eighteenth century, a group of Scottish composers including [[James Oswald (composer)|James Oswald]] and [[William McGibbon]] created the "Scots drawing room style", taking primarily Lowland Scottish tunes and making them acceptable to a middle-class audience.<ref>M. Gelbart, ''The Invention of "Folk Music" and "Art Music"'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), {{ISBN|1-139-46608-9}}, p. 30.</ref> In the 1790s [[Robert Burns]] embarked on an attempt to produce a corpus of Scottish national songs, contributing about a third of the songs of ''[[The Scots Musical Museum]]''.<ref>Donald A. Low, ed., ''The Songs of Robert Burns'' (London: Routledge, 1993), {{ISBN|0-203-99111-7}}, p. 1054.</ref> Burns also collaborated with [[George Thomson (musician)|George Thomson]] in ''A Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs'', which adapted Scottish folk songs with "classical" arrangements. However, Burns' championing of Scottish music may have prevented the establishment of a tradition of European concert music in Scotland, which faltered towards the end of the eighteenth century.<ref name="Baxter2001app140-1"/>

From the mid-nineteenth century, classical music began a revival in Scotland, aided by the visits of [[Frédéric Chopin]] and [[Felix Mendelssohn]] in the 1840s.<ref name=Cheyne2001pp138-40>A. C. Cheyne, "Culture: age of industry, (1843–1914), general", in M. Lynch, ed., ''The Oxford Companion to Scottish History'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), {{ISBN|0-19-211696-7}}, pp. 143–6.</ref> By the late nineteenth century, there was in effect a national school of orchestral and operatic music in Scotland, with major composers including [[Alexander Mackenzie (composer)|Alexander Mackenzie]], [[William Wallace (Scottish composer)|William Wallace]], [[Learmont Drysdale]] and [[Hamish MacCunn]].<ref name=Gardiner2005p195-6/> Major performers included the pianist [[Frederic Lamond (pianist)|Frederic Lamond]] and the singers [[Mary Garden]] and [[Joseph Hislop]].<ref name=Harvie1998pp136-8>C. Harvie, ''No Gods and Precious Few Heroes: Twentieth-century Scotland'' (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1998), {{ISBN|0-7486-0999-7}}, pp. 136–8.</ref>

After the First World War, [[Robin Orr]] and Cedric Thorpe Davie were influenced by [[modernism]] and Scottish musical cadences. [[Erik Chisholm]] founded the Scottish Ballet Society and helped to create several ballets.<ref name=Gardiner2005p193>M. Gardiner, ''Modern Scottish Culture'' (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2005), {{ISBN|0-7486-2027-3}}, pp. 193–8.</ref> The [[Edinburgh Festival]] was founded in 1947 and led to an expansion of classical music in Scotland, leading to the foundation of [[Scottish Opera]] in 1960.<ref name=Harvie1998pp136-8/> Important post-war composers included [[Ronald Stevenson]],<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/694|title=Ronald Stevenson, composer-pianist: an exegetical critique from a pianistic perspective|first=Gasser|last=Mark|journal=Theses: Doctorates and Masters|date=1 January 2013}}</ref> [[Francis George Scott]], [[Edward McGuire (composer)|Edward McGuire]], [[William Sweeney (composer)|William Sweeney]], [[Iain Hamilton (composer)|Iain Hamilton]], [[Thomas Wilson (composer)|Thomas Wilson]], [[Thea Musgrave]], [[Judith Weir]], [[James MacMillan]] and [[Helen Grime]]. [[Craig Armstrong (composer)|Craig Armstrong]] has produced music for numerous films. Major performers include the percussionist [[Evelyn Glennie]].<ref name=Gardiner2005p193/> Major Scottish orchestras include the [[Royal Scottish National Orchestra]] (RSNO), the [[Scottish Chamber Orchestra]] (SCO) and the [[BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra]] (BBC SSO). Major venues include [[Glasgow Royal Concert Hall]], [[Usher Hall]] in Edinburgh and [[Queen's Hall, Edinburgh]].<ref name=Cloughetal2003p108>J. Clough, K. Davidson, S. Randall, A. Scott, ''DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Scotland: Scotland'' (London: Dorling Kindersley, 2012), {{ISBN|1-4053-9355-6}}, p. 108.</ref><ref name=Wilson2004p137>N. Wilson, ''Edinburgh'' (London: Lonely Planet, 2004), {{ISBN|1-74059-382-0}}, p. 137.</ref><ref>J. S. Sawyers, ''Maverick Guide to Scotland'' (London: Pelican, 1999), {{ISBN|1-56554-227-4}}, pp. 176–7.</ref>

==Contemporary modern music== ===1950s–1960s=== [[File:JackBruceDutchTV1968.jpg|thumb|right|[[Jack Bruce]] performing in 1968]]

Scotland produced few rock or pop bands of note in the 1950s. During the 1960s, two innovative rock musicians from Scotland became central to the international rock scene – [[Donovan]] and [[Jack Bruce]]. Traces of Scottish literary and musical influences can be found in both Donovan's and Bruce's work.<ref name="ReferenceA">''The Autobiography of Donovan; The Hurdy Gurdy Man''</ref><ref name="ReferenceB">''Jack Bruce; Composing Himself'' by [[Harry Shapiro (author)|Harry Shapiro]]</ref> Donovan's music on 1965's [[Fairytale (album)|''Fairytale'']] anticipated the [[British folk rock]] [[British folk revival|revival]], and his musicianship is said to have pioneered [[psychedelic rock]] with [[Sunshine Superman (album)|Sunshine Superman]] in 1966. Donovan is said to be an early influence on [[Marc Bolan]], founder of [[T. Rex (band)|T. Rex]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/> [[Jack Bruce]] co-founded [[Cream (band)|Cream]] along with [[Eric Clapton]] and [[Ginger Baker]] in 1966, debuting with the album ''[[Fresh Cream]]''. ''Fresh Cream'' and the launch of Cream are considered a pivotal moment in blues-rock history, introducing virtuosity and improvisation to the form. Bruce, as a member of [[The Tony Williams Lifetime]] (along with [[John McLaughlin (musician)|John McLaughlin]] and [[Larry Young (musician)|Larry Young]]) on ''[[Emergency! (album)|Emergency!]]'', similarly contributed to a seminal jazz-rock work that predated [[Bitches Brew]] by [[Miles Davis]].<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

Thanks to accolades from [[David Bowie]] and others, the Edinburgh-based band 1-2-3 (later known as [[Clouds (60s rock band)|Clouds]]), active between 1966 and 1971, were acknowledged as a definitive precursor of the progressive rock movement.<ref>''The Encyclopaedia of Popular Music'' (Muze publications)</ref>

===1970s–1980s=== [[File:BayCityRollers1976RobBogaerts.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Bay City Rollers]] found fame in both Europe and the United States, selling 120 million records worldwide.]]

By the 1970s, [[Rod Stewart]] and groups such as the [[Average White Band]], [[Nazareth (band)|Nazareth]] and [[the Sensational Alex Harvey Band]] began to gain international success. The most commercially successful Scottish pop act of the 1970s by sales was the [[Bay City Rollers]], who sold over 120 million albums worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McEwen |first=Alan |date=21 January 2023 |title=Surviving Bay City Rollers at war over 'unpaid tour earnings' |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/surviving-bay-city-rollers-war-29012037 |website=Daily Record}}</ref> Their 1975 single "[[Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby Goodbye)#Bay City Rollers version|Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby Goodbye)]]" finished the year as the UK's best-selling single.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Top 50 Singles 1975 |magazine=[[Music Week]] |page=25 |date=December 27, 1975 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1975/Music-Week-1975-12-27.pdf |via=World Radio History}}</ref>

[[Pilot (Scottish band)|Pilot]], a band formed by former Bay City Rollers member [[Billy Lyall]], also enjoyed some success. Their 1974 single "[[Magic (Pilot song)|Magic]]" from their debut album ''[[From the Album of the Same Name]]'' (1974) reached number eleven on the UK Singles Charts<ref name="British Hit Singles">{{cite book| first= David| last= Roberts| year= 2001| title= British Hit Singles| edition= 14th| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London| isbn= 0-85156-156-X| page= 45}}</ref> and number five on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]] in the United States.<ref>[Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002]</ref> Selling over one million copies, it was awarded a [[music recording sales certification|gold disc]] by the [[R.I.A.A.]] in August 1975.<ref>{{cite book| first= Joseph| last= Murrells| year= 1978| title= The Book of Golden Discs| edition= 2nd| publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd| location= London| page= [https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/362 362]| isbn= 0-214-20512-6| url-access= registration| url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/362}}</ref> The song "[[January (Pilot song)|January]]" gave Pilot their greatest success in the UK, securing the number one spot in the [[UK Singles Chart]] on 1 February 1975.

Several members of the internationally successful rock band [[AC/DC]] were born in Scotland, including their original lead singer, [[Bon Scott]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/bonfest-acdc-fans-set-to-flock-to-scottish-home-of-late-singer-bon-scott-for-music-festival-3670882|title=Bonfest: AC/DC fans set to flock to Scottish home of late singer Bon Scott for music festival | The Scotsman |date=27 April 2022 }}</ref> and the guitarists [[Malcolm Young|Malcolm]] and [[Angus Young]], although by the time they began playing, all three had moved to Australia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/angus-young-interview/|title=INTERVIEW: AC/DC's Angus Young on how the wise words of a lost brother have helped keep enduring rockers in the studio and, hopefully, on the road|first=Billy|last=Sloan |date=28 February 2021 }}</ref> Angus and Malcolm's older brother, [[George Young (rock musician)|George Young]], found success as a member of the Australian band [[the Easybeats]] and later produced some of AC/DC's records and formed a [[Vanda & Young|songwriting partnership]] with the Dutch expatriate [[Harry Vanda]]. The musicians [[Mark Knopfler]] and [[John Martyn]] were also partly raised in Scotland.

Scotland produced a number of punk bands which achieved mainstream success, namely [[the Exploited]], [[the Rezillos]], [[the Skids]], [[the Fire Engines]] and the [[Scars (band)|Scars]]. In the [[post-punk]] era of the early 1980s, Scotland produced bands like [[Cocteau Twins]], [[Orange Juice (band)|Orange Juice]], [[The Associates (band)|the Associates]], [[Simple Minds]], [[Maggie Reilly]], [[Annie Lennox]] ([[Eurythmics]]), [[Hue and Cry (band)|Hue and Cry]], [[Goodbye Mr Mackenzie]], [[the Jesus and Mary Chain]], [[Wet Wet Wet]], [[Big Country]], [[the Proclaimers]] and [[Josef K (band)|Josef K]]. Since the 1980s Scotland has produced several popular rock and [[alternative rock]] acts.<ref name="auto">{{cite web | url=https://www.discoverwalks.com/blog/united-kingdom/top-25-most-popular-scottish-singers/#:~:text=1.,help%20of%20his%20eldest%20brother | title=Top 25 Most Popular Scottish Singers | date=4 February 2023 }}</ref> The growth of indie bands in Scotland during the 1980s was prominent with the arrival of the likes of [[Primal Scream]], [[the Soup Dragons]], the Jesus and Mary Chain, [[Aztec Camera]], [[The Blue Nile (band)|the Blue Nile]], [[Teenage Fanclub]], [[18 Wheeler (band)|18 Wheeler]], [[the Pastels]] and [[BMX Bandits (band)|BMX Bandits]]. The following decade also saw a burgeoning scene in Glasgow, with the likes of [[The Almighty (band)|the Almighty]], [[Arab Strap (band)|Arab Strap]], [[Belle and Sebastian]], [[Camera Obscura (band)|Camera Obscura]], [[the Delgados]], [[Bis (Scottish band)|Bis]] and [[Mogwai]].

In 1990 the Scottish band [[Aztec Camera]] released a protest song against [[Margaret Thatcher]] and her government entitled "[[Good Morning Britain (song)|Good Morning Britain]]", with lyrics referencing the social unrest evident in the country during the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://louderthanwar.com/aztec-camera-backwards-and-forwards-album-review/|title=Aztec Camera: Backwards And Forwards - album review|first=Ian|last=Canty|date=23 August 2021}}</ref> The late 1990s and 2000s saw Scottish guitar bands continue to achieve critical or commercial success. Examples include [[Franz Ferdinand (band)|Franz Ferdinand]], [[Frightened Rabbit]], [[Biffy Clyro]], [[Texas (band)|Texas]], [[Travis (band)|Travis]], [[KT Tunstall]], [[Amy Macdonald]], [[Paolo Nutini]], [[The View (band)|the View]], [[Idlewild (band)|Idlewild]], [[Shirley Manson]] of [[Garbage (band)|Garbage]], [[Glasvegas]], [[We Were Promised Jetpacks]], [[the Fratellis]] and [[Twin Atlantic]]. Scottish extreme metal bands include [[Man Must Die]] and [[Cerebral Bore]]. The [[electronic music]] producer [[Calvin Harris]] is also Scottish.<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web| url= http://www.allmusic.com/artist/calvin-harris-mn0000945951/biography | title=Calvin Harris Biography |first= Stewart |last= Mason| work= [[AllMusic]] | access-date= 12 October 2015}}</ref> The Edinburgh-based group [[Young Fathers]] won the 2014 Mercury Prize for their album ''[[Dead (Young Fathers album)|Dead]]''. With the arrival and increasing popularity of musical talent television shows throughout the 2000s, notable Scottish acts include [[Michelle McManus]] (winner of ''Pop Idol'', 2003), [[Darius Campbell Danesh]] (3rd, ''Pop Idol'', 2001–2002), [[Leon Jackson]] (winner, ''The X Factor'', 2007), [[Nicholas McDonald]] (runner-up, ''The X Factor'', 2014) and [[Susan Boyle]] (runner-up, ''[[Britain's Got Talent]]'', 2009).

Artists to achieve international and commercial success through the 2010s and 2020s include [[Calvin Harris]], [[Susan Boyle]], [[Lewis Capaldi]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-65063693|title=Lewis Capaldi: How success affected his mental health|work=BBC News |date=3 April 2023}}</ref> [[Nina Nesbitt]], [[the Snuts]], [[Nathan Evans (singer)|Nathan Evans]], [[Gerry Cinnamon]] and [[Chvrches]]. Boyle topped both the UK Album Charts and the ''Billboard 200'' chart in the United States,<ref name="auto"/> becoming the first female artist in history to have a number one album simultaneously in both the United Kingdom and the United States within the space of a year. In 2011 Boyle became the first female British artist to achieve three successive album debuts at No.1 in less than two years.<ref>{{cite web |title=Facts & Stats |url=https://www.susanboylemusic.com/facts-and-stats/ |website=www.susanboylemusic.com |publisher=Susan Boyle |access-date=10 February 2024}}</ref> Her debut album, ''[[I Dreamed a Dream (album)|I Dreamed a Dream]]'' (2009), is [[List of best-selling albums of the 21st century|one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century]], having sold over 10 million copies worldwide, and it was the best-selling album internationally in 2009.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/celebrities-gone-bad/tragedies-feuds-and-public-tantrums-is-the-dream-finally-over-for-susan-boyle/news-story/bdfa00d9c14b9ccf1ec22d59ebdc80fa |title=Tragedies, feuds and public tantrums: Is the dream finally over for Susan Boyle? |first=Ryan |last=Kisiel |date=May 2, 2016 |work=news.com.au}}</ref> Harris currently holds the [[Official Charts Company]] record for obtaining the most top ten singles in the United Kingdom to be taken from one album. All nine singles released from his third studio album, ''[[18 Months]]'' (2012), reached the top ten, meaning Harris surpassed the record previously held by [[Michael Jackson]], who held the record with seven singles from one album.<ref>{{cite web |title=Calvin Harris makes chart history with nine top 10s |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-23573744 |website=BBC News |access-date=18 May 2025 |date=5 August 2013}}</ref>

===Scotland in Eurovision=== {{main|Scotland in the Eurovision Song Contest}} As one of the [[countries of the United Kingdom]], Scotland does not compete separately in the annual [[Eurovision Song Contest]]. Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city, hosted the contest in [[Eurovision Song Contest 1972|1972]] on behalf of [[Monaco]], the winner of the competition in [[Eurovision Song Contest 1971|1971]], after the countries participating broadcaster, [[TMC (TV channel)|Télé Monte Carlo]], were unable to fulfil the requirements to host the competition and experienced difficulties in finding a suitable venue.<ref>{{cite web |title=Edinburgh 1972 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/edinburgh-1972 |website=eurovision.tv |access-date=18 May 2025 |language=en}}</ref> In a similar manner, [[Glasgow]], Scotland's largest city, was the only short–listed city to host the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2023|2023 Eurovision Song Contest]], but ultimately lost its bid to [[Liverpool]] in England.<ref>{{cite web |title=Glasgow {{!}} Eurovision Song Contest |url=https://eurovision.tv/host-city-shortlist-23/glasgow#:~:text=Glasgow%20was%20one%20of%20seven,City%20on%20Friday%207%20October. |website=eurovision.tv |access-date=18 May 2025 |language=en |date=27 August 2022}}</ref> After finishing second at the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2022|2022 contest]] with [[Sam Ryder]], the United Kingdom had been invited to host the competition on behalf of Ukraine, who were unable to stage the event as a result of [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|the Russian invasion]] in the country and security concerns.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Union (EBU) |first1=European Broadcasting |title=EBU, UA:PBC and BBC agree to host 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in the United Kingdom |url=https://www.ebu.ch/news/2022/07/ebu-uapbc-and-bbc-agree-to-host-2023-eurovision-song-contest-in-the-united-kingdom |website=www.ebu.ch |access-date=18 May 2025 |language=en |date=25 July 2022}}</ref> Glasgow previously hosted the [[Eurovision Dance Contest 2008]] at the [[SEC Centre]] in September 2008.<ref>{{cite web |title=BBC - Press Office - The Eurovision Dance Contest glides into Glasgow |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/07_july/07/dance.shtml |website=www.bbc.co.uk |access-date=18 May 2025}}</ref>

In 2020 speculation had arisen about Scotland debuting at the [[Junior Eurovision Song Contest]] in a similar manner in which Wales had participated at the [[Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2018]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Granger |first1=Anthony |title=Scotland: Potential Junior Eurovision Debut in 2020 |url=https://eurovoix.com/2019/06/30/scotland-potential-junior-eurovision-debut-in-2020/ |website=Eurovoix |access-date=21 May 2025 |date=30 June 2019}}</ref> A number of Scottish broadcasters – [[STV (TV channel)|STV]] and [[BBC Alba]] – are eligible to submit a Scottish entry as they hold [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU) membership, however, BBC Alba confirmed that, despite engaging in discussion with the EBU about Scotland participating, that Scotland had no plans to enter the junior contest that year.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grace |first1=Emily |title=Scotland: No Debut At Junior Eurovision in 2020 |url=https://eurovoix.com/2020/04/21/scotland-no-debut-junior-eurovision/ |website=Eurovoix |access-date=21 May 2025 |date=21 April 2020}}</ref> Scottish entry to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest has since been considered a possibility in the subsequent contests, however, as of 2024, Scotland has still to formally debut at the contest.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bailey |first1=William |title=Wales and Scotland rule out Junior Eurovision participation |url=https://dailyvision.co.uk/en/wales-and-scotland-rule-out-junior-eurovision-participation |website=DailyVision |access-date=21 May 2025 |date=24 June 2024}}</ref>

In 2018 Edinburgh hosted the [[Eurovision Young Musicians 2018]] contest at the [[Usher Hall]], which had previously hosted the song contest in 1972.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Union (EBU) |first1=European Broadcasting |title=Russia's Ivan Bessonov wins Eurovision Young Musicians 2018 |url=https://www.ebu.ch/news/2018/08/russias-ivan-bessonov-wins-eurovision-young-musicians-2018 |website=www.ebu.ch |access-date=18 May 2025 |language=en |date=23 August 2018}}</ref> Scotland entered the [[Eurovision Choir 2019]], a [[European Broadcasting Union]] competition for choral singers. This marked the first time that Scotland had entered a Eurovision or European Broadcasting Union competition separately from the United Kingdom. The choir, Alba, performed three songs in [[Scottish Gaelic]]; ''Cumha na Cloinne'', ''Ach a' Mhairead'' and ''Alba''. The choir competed in the first round and did not advance to the second and final round.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://eurovoix.com/2023/01/01/scotland-eurovision-choir-2023-participation/ | title=🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland: BBC Alba to Decide on Eurovision Choir 2023 Participation by End of January | date=January 2023 }}</ref>

Scotland debuted at the second [[Free European Song Contest]] in [[Free European Song Contest 2021|2021]], a competition broadcast by the German broadcaster [[ProSieben]] as an alternative to the main Eurovision Song Contest which had been cancelled in 2020 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. At the first edition of the contest, Scotland had been represented as part of the wider United Kingdom. The singer [[Amy Macdonald]] represented Scotland and finished in 4th place with the song "[[Statues (Amy Macdonald song)|Statues]]".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.escunited.com/ireland-emerges-as-winner-of-free-european-song-contest-2021/|title=Ireland emerges as winner of Free European Song Contest 2021|date=16 May 2021}}</ref>

==Instruments==

===Accordion=== {{main|Accordion}} Though often derided as Scottish kitsch, the accordion has long been a part of Scottish music. [[Scottish country dance|Country dance]] bands, such as that led by [[Jimmy Shand]], have helped to dispel this image. In the early 20th century, the [[melodeon (accordion)|melodeon]], a variety of [[diatonic button accordion]] was popular among rural folk and was part of the [[bothy band]] tradition. More recently, [[Phil Cunningham (folk musician)|Phil Cunningham]] (of Silly Wizard) has helped to popularise the accordion in Scottish music.

===Bagpipes=== {{main|Bagpipe}}

Many associate Scottish folk music with the [[Great Highland Bagpipe]], which has long played an important part in Scottish music. Although this particular form of bagpipe was developed exclusively in Scotland, it is not the only Scottish bagpipe. The earliest mention of bagpipes in Scotland dates to the 15th century although they are believed to have been introduced to Britain by the Roman armies. The ''pìob mhór'', or Great Highland Bagpipe, was initially associated with both hereditary piping families and professional pipers to various clan chiefs; later, pipes were adopted for use in other venues, including military marching. Piping clans included the [[Clan Henderson]], [[Clan MacArthur|MacArthurs]], [[Clan Donald|MacDonalds]], [[Clan MacKay|MacKays]] and, especially, the [[MacCrimmon (piping family)|MacCrimmon]], who were hereditary pipers to the [[Clan MacLeod]].{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

Though bagpipes are closely associated with Scotland, the instrument (or, more precisely, ''family'' of instruments) is found throughout large swathes of Europe, North Africa and South Asia. The most common bagpipe heard in modern Scottish music is the [[Great Highland Bagpipe]], which was spread by the Highland regiments of the British Army. Historically, numerous other bagpipes existed, and many of them have been recreated in the last half-century. Also during the 19th century bagpipes were played on ships sailing off to war to keep the men's hopes up and to bring good luck in the coming war.

The classical music of the Great Highland Bagpipe is called [[Pìobaireachd]], which consists of a first movement called the ''urlar'' (in English, the 'ground' movement,) which establishes a theme. The theme is then developed in a series of movements, growing increasingly complex each time. After the ''urlar'' there is usually a number of variations and doublings of the variations. Then comes the ''taorluath'' movement and variation and the ''crunluath'' movement, continuing with the underlying theme. This is usually followed by a variation of the crunluath, usually the ''crunluath a mach'' (other variations: ''crunluath breabach'' and ''crunluath fosgailte''); the piece closes with a return to the ''urlar''.

Bagpipe competitions are common in Scotland, for both solo pipers and pipe bands. Competitive solo piping is currently popular among many aspiring pipers, some of whom travel from as far as Australia to attend Scottish competitions. Other pipers have chosen to explore more creative usages of the instrument. Different types of bagpipes have also seen a resurgence since the 70s, as the historical [[border pipes]] and [[Scottish smallpipes]] have been resuscitated and now attract a thriving alternative piping community.<ref>[http://www.hamishmoore.musicscotland.com/essay.htm Hamish Moore of Dunkeld – maker of Scottish smallpipes and Highland bagpipes] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071113222244/http://www.hamishmoore.musicscotland.com/essay.htm |date=13 November 2007 }}</ref> Two of Scotland's most highly regarded pipers are [[Gordon Duncan]] and [[Fred Morrison]].

The [[pipe band]] is another common format for highland piping, with top competitive bands including the [[Victoria Police Pipe Band]] from Australia (formerly), Northern Ireland's [[Field Marshal Montgomery]], the [[Republic of Ireland]]'s Laurence O'Toole pipe band, Canada's [[78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band]] and [[Simon Fraser University Pipe Band]], and Scottish bands like [[Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band]] and [[Strathclyde Police Pipe Band]]. These bands, as well as many others, compete in numerous pipe band competitions, often the [[World Pipe Band Championships]], and sometimes perform in public concerts.

===Fiddle=== {{main|Fiddle|Scottish fiddling}} Scottish traditional fiddling encompasses a number of regional styles, including the [[bagpipe]]-inflected west Highlands, the upbeat and lively style of Norse-influenced [[Shetland Islands]] and the [[Strathspey (dance)|Strathspey]] and slow airs of the northeast. The instrument arrived late in the 17th century, and is first mentioned in 1680 in a document from [[Newbattle Abbey]] in [[Midlothian]], ''Lessones For Ye Violin''.

In the 18th century, Scottish fiddling is said to have reached new heights. Fiddlers like [[William Marshall (Scottish composer)|William Marshall]] and [[Niel Gow]] were legends across Scotland, and the first collections of fiddle tunes were published in the mid-century. The most famous and useful of these collections was a series published by [[Nathaniel Gow]], one of Niel's sons, and a fine fiddler and composer in his own right. [[Chronological list of Scottish classical composers|Classical composers]] such as Charles McLean, [[James Oswald (composer)|James Oswald]] and [[William McGibbon]] used Scottish fiddling traditions in their [[Baroque music|Baroque]] compositions.

Scottish fiddling is most directly represented in North America on [[Cape Breton Island]], Nova Scotia, which received some 25,000 emigrants from the Scottish Highlands during the [[Highland Clearances]] of 1780–1850. Cape Breton musicians such as [[Natalie MacMaster]], [[Ashley MacIsaac]], and [[Jerry Holland (fiddler)|Jerry Holland]] have brought their music to a worldwide audience, building on the traditions of master fiddlers such as [[Buddy MacMaster]] and [[Winston Fitzgerald|Winston Scotty Fitzgerald]].

Among native Scots, [[Aly Bain]] and [[Alasdair Fraser]] are two of the most accomplished, following in the footsteps of influential 20th-century players such as [[James Scott Skinner]], Hector MacAndrew, Angus Grant and [[Tom Anderson (fiddler)|Tom Anderson]]. The growing number of young professional Scottish fiddlers makes a complete list impossible.

The Annual Scots Fiddle Festival which runs each November showcases the great fiddling tradition and talent in Scotland.

===Guitar=== {{main|Guitar}}

The history of the guitar in traditional music is recent, as is that of the [[cittern]] and [[bouzouki]] introduced into Celtic folk music by folksinger Johnny Moynihan in the late 1960s.<ref>O'Toole, Leagues (2006). The Humours of Planxty. Ireland: Hodder Headline. {{ISBN|0-340-83796-9}}.</ref> The guitar featured prominently in the folk revival of the early 1960s with the likes of [[Archie Fisher]], the Corries, [[Hamish Imlach]], Robin Hall and Jimmie Macgregor. The virtuoso playing of Bert Jansch was widely influential, and the range of instruments was widened by The Incredible String Band. Notable artists include [[Tony McManus (musician)|Tony McManus]], [[Dave MacIsaac]], [[Peerie Willie Johnson]] and [[Dick Gaughan]]. Other notable guitarists in Scottish music scene include [[Kris Drever]] of Fine Friday and [[Lau (band)|Lau]], and Ross Martin of Cliar, [[Dàimh]] and [[Harem Scarem (folk band)|Harem Scarem]]. Scotland has also produced several notable electric guitarists, including [[Stuart Adamson]] of Big Country (once referred to as "Britain's [[Jimi Hendrix]]"), Angus Young of [[AC/DC]], [[Jimmy McCulloch]] of [[Wings (band)|Wings]], [[Manny Charlton]] of Nazareth, [[Zal Cleminson]] of The Sensational Alex Harvey band, and [[Brian Robertson (guitarist)|Brian Robertson]] of [[Thin Lizzy]].

===Gittern=== {{distinguish|cittern|zither|guitar}} [[File:Wartburg-Laute.JPG|thumb|right|Five course Gittern or "Quintern" dated 1450, built by luthier Hans Oth]]

Stringed instruments similar to that of modern guitars have appeared in Scottish folk music for centuries. The Gittern, an ancestor to the modern guitar, featured in medieval Scottish appearing from at least the 13th century and was still around in Scotland 300 years later.<ref>{{cite web |title=Renovata Cythara |series=Plucked, fretted instruments in Medieval and Renaissance Scotland |website=Theater of Music (theaterofmusic.com) |url=http://www.cittern.theaterofmusic.com/misc/scotland.html |quote=... articles about the history of wire string instruments ...}}</ref>

===Harp=== {{main|Harp}}

Material evidence suggests that lyres and / or harp, or [[clarsach]], has a long and ancient history in Britain, with [[Iron Age]] lyres dating from 2300 BC.<ref name="news.stv.tv"/><ref name="bbc.co.uk"/> The harp was regarded as the national instrument until it was replaced with the Highland bagpipes in the 15th century.<ref>Henry George Farmer (1947): A History of Music in Scotland London, 1947 p. 202.</ref> Stone carvings in the East of Scotland support the theory that the harp was present in [[Picts|Pictish]] Scotland well before the 9th century and may have been the original ancestor of the modern European harp and even formed the basis for Scottish pibroch, the folk bagpipe tradition. [[Image:Celtic harp dsc05425.jpg|thumb|left|170px|This Scottish ''clàrsach'', known as the ''Clàrsach na Banrìgh Màiri'' or Queen Mary Harp made in the western Highlands (c.1500)<ref>Caldwell, D.H. (ed). Angels Nobles and Unicorns: Art and Patronage in Medieval Scotland. Edinburgh: NMS, 1982</ref> now in the [[Museum of Scotland]], is one of only three surviving medieval Gaelic harps.]]

Barring illustrations of harps in the 9th century [[Utrecht Psalter]], only thirteen depictions exist in Europe of any triangular chordophone harp pre-11th century, and all thirteen of them come from Scotland. Pictish harps were strung with horsehair. The instruments apparently spread south to the Anglo-Saxons, who commonly used gut strings, and then west to the Gaels of the Highlands and Ireland. The earliest Irish word for a harp is in fact [[Cruithne (people)|Cruit]], a word which strongly suggests a Pictish provenance for the instrument. The surname [[MacWhirter]], ''Mac a' Chruiteir'', means son of the harpist, and is common throughout Scotland, but particularly in [[Carrick, Scotland|Carrick]] and [[Galloway]].

The Clàrsach ([[Scottish Gaelic language|Gd.]]) or Cláirseach ([[Irish language|Ga.]]) is the name given to the wire-strung harp of either Scotland or Ireland. The word begins to appear by the end of the 14th century. Until the end of the [[Middle Ages]] it was the most popular musical instrument in Scotland, and harpers were among the most prestigious cultural figures in the courts of Irish/Scottish chieftains and Scottish kings and earls. In both countries, harpers enjoyed special rights and played a crucial part in ceremonial occasions such as coronations and poetic [[bardic]] recitals. The [[Kings of Scotland]] employed harpers until the end of the Middle Ages, and they featured prominently in royal [[iconography]]. Several Clarsach players were noted at the [[Battle of the Standard]] (1138), and when [[Alexander III of Scotland]] (died 1286) visited London in 1278, his court minstrels with him, records show payments were made to one Elyas, "King of Scotland's harper." One of the nicknames for the Scottish harp is "taigh nan teud", the house of strings.

Three medieval Gaelic harps survived into the modern period, two from Scotland (the Queen Mary Harp and the Lamont Harp) and one in Ireland (the Brian Boru harp), although artistic evidence suggests that all three were probably made in the western Highlands.

The playing of this Gaelic harp with wire strings died out in Scotland in the 18th century and in Ireland in the early 19th century. In the late 19th century Gaelic revival the instruments used differed greatly from the old wire-strung harps. The new instruments had gut strings, and their construction and playing style was based on the larger orchestral pedal harp. Nonetheless, the name "clàrsach" was and is still used in Scotland today to describe these new instruments. The modern gut-strung clàrsach has thousands of players, both in Scotland and Ireland, as well as North America and elsewhere. The 1931 formation of the Clarsach Society kickstarted the modern harp renaissance. Recent harp players include [[Savourna Stevenson]], [[Maggie MacInnes]] and the band [[Sileas]]. Notable events include the annual [[Edinburgh International Harp Festival]], which in 2006 staged the world record for the largest number of harpists to play at the same time.<ref>{{cite book |title=Guinness World Records 2008 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=keCMNVyeroYC&dq=%22edinburgh+international+harp+festival%22+guinness+world+record&pg=PA357 |isbn = 9780553589955|access-date=September 19, 2021|last1 = Glenday|first1 = Craig|date = 29 April 2008| publisher=Bantam Books }}</ref>

===Tin whistle=== {{main|Tin whistle}} [[Image:Tinwhistles.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Tin whistles in a variety of makes and keys]] One of the oldest tin whistles still in existence is the Tusculum whistle, found with pottery dating to the 14th and 15th centuries; it is currently in the collection of the [[Museum of Scotland]]. Today the whistle is a very common instrument in recorded Scottish music. Although few well-known performers choose the tin whistle as their principal instrument, it is quite common for pipers, flute players, and other musicians to play the whistle as well.

===Bodhrán=== {{main|Bodhrán}} The Irish word bodhrán (plural bodhráin), indicating a drum, is first mentioned in a document translated to English from Irish in the 17th century. The bodhrán originated in southwest Ireland, probably in the 18th century, and was known as the "poor man's tambourine". Made from farm implements and without the cymbals, it was popular among mummers or wren boys. A large oil painting by Irish artist Daniel Maclise (1806–1870) depicts a large Halloween house party in which a bodhrán features clearly.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://comhaltas.ie/music/treoir/detail/bodhran_its_origin_meaning_and_history/|title=Comhaltas: Bodhrán: its origin, meaning and history|website=Comhaltas.ie|access-date=9 January 2021}}</ref> The bodhrán in Scotland and also Cape Breton, the northern mainland of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island is an import from Ireland due to its popularity in the 1960s because of the music of Seán Ó Riada<ref>Hast, Dorothea E. and Stanley Scott. Music in Ireland: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture Oxford University Press, New York, 2004. {{ISBN|0-19-514554-2}}</ref>

===Mandolin=== {{main|Mandolin}} The mandolin, a plucked string instrument of the lute family, first appeared in Scotland in the late 19th century through Italian immigrant communities and travelling musicians.<ref>{{cite book |last=Tyler |first=James |title=The Mandolin: A History |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2011 |isbn=9780195389331}}</ref> Although originally associated with classical and continental European repertoire, the instrument became increasingly incorporated into Scottish traditional music during the 20th century, particularly within folk revival movements of the 1960s and 1970s.<ref>{{cite journal |last=MacLeod |first=Fiona |title=Mandolin in Contemporary Scottish Folk |journal=Journal of Celtic Music Studies |volume=12 |year=2020}}</ref>

By the early 21st century, the mandolin had established a distinct role in Scottish folk ensembles, often doubling fiddle melodies or providing rhythmic accompaniment for reels, jigs, strathspeys, and march tunes. Its bright, percussive tone has made it a popular choice among contemporary Scottish acoustic duos and bands, contributing to a wider resurgence of fretted instruments within Celtic music.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Henderson |first=Mark |title=Acoustic Revival: The Mandolin in Modern Folk |magazine=Folk Roots Magazine |year=2019}}</ref>

Although not historically native to Scotland in the same way as the fiddle or bagpipes, the mandolin is now widely played throughout the Scottish folk scene and is taught in traditional music programmes, workshops, and community settings. Its presence in both performance and recording contexts reflects the broader evolution of Scottish folk music during the modern revival period.<ref>{{cite web |title=Contemporary Scottish Folk Instruments |url=https://www.scottishfolkmusic.org/instruments |publisher=Scottish Folk Music Archive |access-date=10 December 2025}}</ref>

==Music awards== The [[Scottish Music Awards]], [[Scottish Album of the Year Award]], the [[Scots Trad Music Awards]] and the [[BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician]] Award each recognise musical talent in Scotland annually from both Scottish and international artists.

==Music festivals==

[[File:Edinburgh Tattoo 2010 (4946272332).jpg|thumb|right|The [[Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo]]]]

Scotland has long had a number of festivals that celebrate music of Scottish and international origin on an annual basis. [[T in the Park]] (1994–2016) was one of Scotland's largest music festivals,<ref>{{cite news |author=Barry Nicolson |date=10 July 2016 |title=T in the Park review |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jul/10/t-in-the-park-review-calvin-harris-dizzee-jamie-xx-stone-roses |work=The Guardian |quote=Whatever its faults, [T in the Park] remains the biggest – and best – party on Scotland’s cultural calendar.}}</ref> drawing crowds annually during the second weekend of July since its inception in 1994. Featuring a lineup of some of the globe's biggest and most successful artists and bands, it held a special place in the hearts of music enthusiasts. T in the Park was replaced by [[TRNSMT]] (2017–present) which similarly takes place in the second weekend of July and is held in [[Glasgow Green]].

[[Celtic Connections]] started in 1994 and celebrates Celtic music. It is held annually in Glasgow, for 18 days in January and February. The [[Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo]] is performed by international armed forces bands. It is held in August at [[Edinburgh Castle]] as part of the [[Edinburgh Festivals]].

Other festivals include the [[Aberdeen and NE Scotland Music Festival]], [[Big Burns Supper Festival]], [[Callander Jazz and Blues Festival]], [[Connect Music Festival]], the [[Darvel Music Festival]], [[Eden Festival]], the [[Glasgow International Jazz Festival]], [[Glasgow Summer Sessions]], [[Let's Rock (festival)|Let's Rock]], the [[Leith Festival]] and the [[Skye Live Festival]]. The Glasgow Bandstand at [[Kelvingrove Park]] hosts the annual Summer Nights festival with artists such as [[KT Tunstall]], [[Anastacia]], [[Sophie Ellis-Bextor]], [[Belinda Carlisle]], [[Rick Astley]] and the Jesus & Mary Chain being past performers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/kelvingrovebandstand/2022/|title=Summer Nights at Kelvingrove Park Bandstand 2022 - eFestivals|website=www.efestivals.co.uk}}</ref>

Former major festivals include [[Wickerman Festival]], [[Big in Falkirk]], [[RockNess]] and Be in Belhaven.

==Education and scholarships== {{further|Music schools in Scotland|Education in Scotland}}

The majority of schools in Scotland offer music education across secondary education and offer distinct music degrees accredited by the [[Scottish Qualifications Authority]] (SQA) at both [[National 5]] and [[Higher (Scottish)|Higher]] level in which pupils examine the broad practical experience of performing, creating and understanding music.<ref>{{cite web |title=Music - Course overview |url=https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/45960.html |website=www.sqa.org.uk |access-date=21 May 2025}}</ref> A number of individual [[Music schools in Scotland|music schools]] exist in Scotland, with four designated "centres of excellence" by the [[Scottish Government]]. Currently, the four "centre of excellence" music schools are Douglas Academy Music School at [[Douglas Academy]], [[Milngavie]], near Glasgow, Aberdeen City Music School at [[Dyce Academy]], Aberdeen, [[Sgoil Chiùil na Gàidhealtachd]] (National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music) at [[Plockton High School]], [[Plockton]], and [[City of Edinburgh Music School]] at [[Broughton High School (Edinburgh)|Broughton High School]] and Flora Stevenson Primary.<ref>{{cite web |title=Centres of excellence |url=https://education.gov.scot/parentzone/my-school/choosing-a-school/centres-of-excellence/ |website=education.gov.scot |access-date=21 May 2025 |language=en-gb}}</ref>

[[St Mary's Music School]] is an independent music school in [[Edinburgh]] for pupils aged 8–19 years of age.<ref>{{cite web |title=About our School {{!}} St Mary's Music School {{!}}Scotland's Specialist Music School |url=https://www.stmarysmusicschool.co.uk/about-st-marys-music-school |website=www.stmarysmusicschool.co.uk |access-date=21 May 2025 |language=en}}</ref> Entry to the school is by [[audition]] and assessment, based on musical ability and potential and regardless of personal circumstances. [[Scottish Government]] funding, up to 100%, is available through the [[Statute|statutory]] Aided Places scheme to assist with the cost of tuition and boarding fees.<ref>{{cite web |title=admissions {{!}} St Mary's Music School {{!}} A leading music school in Edinburgh |url=https://www.stmarysmusicschool.co.uk/admissions |website=www.stmarysmusicschool.co.uk |access-date=21 May 2025 |language=en}}</ref> The [[Royal Conservatoire of Scotland]] offers scholarships within the music, arts, drama and film fields,<ref>{{cite web |title=Scholarships |url=https://www.rcs.ac.uk/study/fees-funding/scholarships/#:~:text=Other%20Scholarships-,RCS%20Scholarships,the%20duration%20of%20the%20programme. |website=Royal Conservatoire of Scotland |access-date=21 May 2025}}</ref> and consistently ranks among the best schools in the world in [[Quacquarelli Symonds|Quacquarelli Symonds (QS)]]'s Performing Arts ranking since the latter was established in 2016. The Conservatoire has been in the top 10 five out of six years, reaching 3rd place in 2017<ref>{{Cite web|title=Performing Arts|url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2017/performing-arts|access-date=2021-03-05|website=Top Universities|language=en}}</ref> and 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021: Performing Arts|url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2021/performing-arts|access-date=2021-03-05|website=Top Universities|language=en}}</ref> In 2022 RCS ranked fifth in the world for Performing Arts Education.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rcs.ac.uk/news/rcs-world-top-5-performing-arts-education-qs-rankings/|title=World top 5 for performing arts education in QS World University Rankings 2022|website=Royal Conservatoire of Scotland}}</ref>

==Samples== *[[Media:Nacuperean.ogg|Download recording]] of ''Na cuperean'', a traditional Scottish song from [[Nova Scotia]]ns in California from the Library of Congress' ''California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties Collection''; performed by Mary A. McDonald on 11 April 1939 in [[Berkeley, California]]

==See also== {{div col begin|colwidth=15em}} * [[Gaelic music]] * [[Music of Ireland]] * [[Music of Wales]] * [[Music schools in Scotland]] * [[Royal Conservatoire of Scotland]] * [[List of pipe bands]] * [[Scottish Gaelic punk]] * [[Scottish hip-hop]] {{div col end}}

==References==

===Notes=== {{Reflist|30em}}

===Further reading=== *Emmerson, George S. ''Rantin' Pipe and Tremblin' String – history of Scottish dance music''. Second edition 1988. Galt House, London, Ontario, Canada. {{ISBN|0-9690653-3-7}} *Eydmann, Stuart "The concertina as an emblem of the folk music revival in the British Isles." 1995. ''British Journal of Ethnomusicology'' 4: 41–49. *Eydmann, Stuart "As Common as Blackberries: The First Hundred Years of the Accordion in Scotland." 1999. ''Folk Music Journal'' 7 No. 5 pp. 565–608. *Eydmann, Stuart "From the "Wee Melodeon" to the "Big Box": The Accordion in Scotland since 1945." The Accordion in all its Guises, 2001. ''Musical Performance'' Volume 3 Parts 2 – 4 pp. 107–125. *Eydmann, Stuart ''The Life and Times of the Concertina: the adoption and usage of a novel musical instrument with particular reference to Scotland''. PhD Thesis, The Open University 1995 published online at www.concertina.com/eydmann [http://www.concertina.com/eydmann Stuart Eydmann: The Scottish Concertina] *Hardie, Alastair J. ''The Caledonian Companion – A Collection of Scottish Fiddle Music and Guide to its Performance''. 1992. The Hardie Press, Edinburgh. {{ISBN|0-946868-08-5}} *Heywood, Pete and Colin Irwin. "From Strathspeys to Acid Croft". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), ''World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East'', pp 261–272. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. {{ISBN|1-85828-636-0}} *Gilchrist, Jim. "Scotland". 2001. In Mathieson, Kenny (Ed.), ''Celtic music'', pp. 54–87. Backbeat Books. {{ISBN|0-87930-623-8}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120516091513/http://www.ahds.ac.uk/performingarts/collections/five-centuries.htm Five Centuries of Scottish Music] a high-quality, free digital resource hosted by [https://web.archive.org/web/20070404132822/http://ahds.ac.uk/performingarts/index.htm AHDS Performing Arts]. *[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live/bbc_radio_scotland_fm BBC Radio Scotland] online radio: folk music on Travelling Folk, bagpipe music on Pipeline, country dance music on Reel Blend and Take the Floor. (RealPlayer plugin required) *[http://www.scottishmusiccentre.com/ Scottish Music Centre] music archive and information resource. *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090209043451/http://www.calumcille.com/ Gaelic Modes] Web articles on Gaelic harp harmony & modes

[[Category:Music of Scotland]] [[Category:Culture of Scotland]]