Transcriber’s Note:
The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.
“THE CORONACH”
(From the Painting by R. R. Mac Ian)
The Highland Bagpipe
Its History, Literature, and Music
WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THE
Traditions, Superstitions, and Anecdotes
Relating to
The Instrument and Its Tunes
Preface.
This book was not written on a preconceived plan, drawnup from the beginning of the work. It “growed.” It hadits inception in a commission to write for the WeeklyHerald half-a-dozen biographical articles on famous pipers.The necessary investigation produced a mass of materialtoo interesting to be left unused, and the half-dozenarticles of the original commission became twenty-seven,with very little of the biographical in them. These, afterbeing finally recast, revised, and in several cases re-written,are now in the form of a book flung at an unoffendingpublic. If the volume interests any one—well. If not—well.There is nothing more to be said on that point.
It were vain to attempt to acknowledge indebtedness tobooks or to men. Every available book bearing on thesubject even in the most indirect way has been consulted,in many cases read. A great deal of the material used isof course common to all Highland literature, and one bookcannot be quoted more than another. With men it isequally impracticable to give names. So many have helped,so many have written giving additional bits of informationor suggesting improvements, so many have, in reply torequests, kindly supplied matter dealing with phases of theviiisubject on which they have intimate knowledge, that onecould not do justice to all without naming all. Still, whileth