Which instrument is the traditional national instrument of Scotland?

The Great Highland bagpipe is traditionally regarded as Scotland’s national instrument.

The instrument has a melody pipe called the chanter and several drone pipes supplied by air from a bag. The player fills the bag by blowing through a blowpipe or, in some related designs, by using bellows. Continuous pressure from the bag allows the chanter and drones to sound without the breaks associated with ordinary breath-controlled wind instruments.

The Great Highland bagpipe became strongly connected with Scottish military, ceremonial and Highland cultural traditions. Its repertoire includes marches, strathspeys, reels and piobaireachd, a classical Highland bagpipe form.

Scotland also has other bagpipes, including Scottish smallpipes, which are quieter and often bellows-blown. The word “bagpipe” therefore describes a broad instrument family, not one single Scottish design. The Great Highland form is identified by its large projecting sound, blowpipe and characteristic drone arrangement.