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When the Highlands and Islands of Scotland adopted the bagpipe, perhaps some four hundred years ago, they began to develop the instrument and its music to suit their needs and tastes.

What emerged was the instrument we know today and a form of music, piobaireachd, which is unique to the instrument. It is a very stylized form of music. There is freedom in the theme or "ground" of the piobaireachd to express joy, sadness, or sometimes in the "gathering" tunes , a peremptory warning or call to arms.

Thereafter the theme is repeated and underlined in a series of variations, which usually progress to the "crunluath" variation where the piper's fingers give a dazzling technical display of embellishment or gracenotes.

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