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96-510: Chanters come in two main types, parallel and non-parallel bored (although there is no clear dividing line between the two). This refers to the shape of the internal bore of the chanter. On the Great Highland Bagpipe , the internal bore is conical: it is this that gives the chanter its exceptional volume. The Northumbrian pipes, on the other hand, have a parallel bore, giving them a much sweeter and quieter tone. Although

192-400: A double-reed instrument, the reeds are all closed inside the wooden "stocks", instead of being played directly by mouth as most other woodwinds are. The great Highland bagpipe actually has four reeds: the chanter reed (double), two tenor drone reeds (single), and one bass drone reed (single). A modern set has a bag, a chanter, a blowpipe, two tenor drones, and one bass drone. The scale of

288-517: A Scots royal fortress occupied by the English, was under siege by the Scottish army. King Edward assembled a formidable force of soldiers to relieve it—the largest army ever to invade Scotland. The English summoned 25,000 infantry soldiers and 2,000 horses from England, Ireland and Wales against 6,000 Scottish soldiers, that Bruce had divided into three different contingents. Edward's attempt to raise

384-529: A few great Highland bagpipes which Breton pipe-makers started copying. Polig Monjarret led the introduction of the Great Highland bagpipe to Brittany during the Celtic revival of the 1920s Breton folk music scene, inventing the bagad , a pipe band incorporating a binioù braz section, a bombarde section, a drums section, and in recent years almost any added grouping of wind instruments such as

480-403: A field above a possible site of the battlefield, where the warring parties are believed to have camped, alongside a statue of Robert Bruce designed by Pilkington Jackson . The monument, along with the associated visitor centre, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area. Edward I had wanted to expand England to prevent a foreign power such as France from capturing territories in

576-460: A full-scale attack on the English forces the next day and to use his schiltrons as offensive units, as he had trained them. This was a strategy his predecessor William Wallace had not employed. The English army was defeated in a pitched battle which resulted in the deaths of several prominent commanders, including the Earl of Gloucester and Sir Robert Clifford , and capture of many others, including

672-454: A historical reed pipe of Scotland with a capped double reed and bell made of horn, played by shepherds, among others. Great Highland Bagpipe The great Highland bagpipe ( Scottish Gaelic : a' phìob mhòr pronounced [a ˈfiəp ˈvoːɾ] lit. 'the great pipe') is a type of bagpipe native to Scotland , and the Scottish analogue to the great Irish warpipes . It has acquired widespread recognition through its usage in

768-454: A major staging point. This is supported by Herbert Maxwell who stated that "Bruce's position was taken up to bar King Edwards access to Stirling." Most medieval battles were short-lived, lasting only a few hours, so the Battle of Bannockburn is unusual in that it lasted two days. Shortly before the battle, King Robert picked a flat field flanked by woodland known as New Park to set up camp for

864-525: A major turning point in the war, which ended 14 years later with the de jure restoration of Scottish independence under the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton . For this reason, the Battle of Bannockburn is widely considered a landmark moment in Scottish history. King Edward II invaded Scotland after Bruce demanded in 1313 that all supporters, still loyal to ousted Scottish king John Balliol , acknowledge Bruce as their king or lose their lands. Stirling Castle ,

960-411: A set of ornaments usually used for pìobaireachd , for example the dare , vedare , chedare , darado , taorluath and crunluath . Some of these embellishments have found their way into light music over the course of the 20th century. These embellishments are also used for note emphasis, for example to emphasize the beat note or other phrasing patterns. These three single grace notes (G, D, and E) are

1056-467: A small horse, light armour, and a battle axe to defend himself. The Earl of Hereford's nephew Henry de Bohun spotted the king so poorly equipped and took advantage. Henry de Bohun charged forward in full combat gear with his lance , encountering Bruce's troops. Bruce and de Bohun faced off in what became a celebrated instance of single combat . Bohun charged at Bruce and, when the two passed side by side, Bruce split Bohun's head with his axe. However

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1152-408: Is estimated that no more than half the infantry actually arrived, but the English army was still by far the largest ever to invade Scotland. The Scottish army probably numbered around 7,000 men, including no more than 500 mounted troops. Unlike the English, the Scottish cavalry was probably not equipped for charging enemy lines and suitable only for skirmishing and reconnaissance. The Scottish infantry

1248-583: Is highly rhythmically regimented and structured, proper phrasing of all types of great Highland bagpipe music relies heavily on the ability of the player to stretch specific notes within a phrase or measure. In particular, the main beats and off-beats of each phrase are structured. However, sub-divisions within each beat are flexible. Music for the great Highland bagpipe is divided into piobaireachd and light music. The Scottish Gaelic word pìobaireachd literally means "piping", but it has been adapted into English as piobaireachd or pibroch . In Gaelic, this,

1344-492: Is highly variable across traditions. On the Great Highland bagpipe, tuning of the individual notes of the chanter is done using tape to slightly cover the finger holes as needed. Historically, it was done with wax, as was done with other woodwind instruments. The practice chanter is used as a practice instrument for the Great Highland Bagpipe. It is somewhat similar in appearance, though slightly smaller than

1440-643: Is more definite in 1396, when records of the Battle of the North Inch of Perth reference "warpipes" being carried into battle. These references may be considered evidence as to the existence of particularly Scottish bagpipes, but evidence of a form peculiar to the Highlands appears in a poem written in 1598 and later published in The Complaynt of Scotland which refers to several types of pipe, including

1536-607: Is particularly popular in areas with large Scottish and Irish emigrant populations, mainly England, Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The great Highland bagpipe has also been adopted by many countries that were formerly part of the British Empire , despite their lack of a Scottish or Irish population. These countries include India, Pakistan, Nepal, Malaysia and Singapore. The great Highland bagpipe also spread to parts of Africa and

1632-457: Is somewhere around 470–480 Hz. Standard pitch B ♭ 4 is 466.16 Hz. A minority of pipes, made or adapted for playing with other instruments, sound at exactly this pitch, with the scale sounding A ♭ , B ♭ , C, D, E ♭ , F, G, A ♭ , B ♭ . These are thus a transposing instrument in D-flat major (i.e. the pitch at which a notional C, were

1728-627: Is the march, strathspey, and reel (MSR). Bagpipes are rarely played with other instruments due to their tuning. Most other instruments are tuned at standard concert pitch (440 Hz), whilst a bagpipe is tuned around 470–480 Hz. It is possible to change the pitch by using different chanters and reeds. "Few attempts have been made hitherto to combine the bagpipes with classical orchestral instruments, due mainly to conflicts of balance and tuning," said composer Graham Waterhouse about his work Chieftain's Salute Op. 34a for Great Highland Bagpipe and String Orchestra (2001). "A satisfactory balance

1824-400: Is the title of a patriotic poem by Robert Burns . The chorus of Scotland's unofficial national anthem Flower of Scotland refers to Scotland's victory over Edward and the English at Bannockburn. Many artworks depict the battle. John Duncan and Eric Harald Macbeth Robertson both painted Bruce's encounter with de Bohun. John Phillip painted Bruce receiving the sacrament on the eve of

1920-555: Is typically made out of cane. It is possible to get synthetic reeds for chanters but it is not very common. The cane reeds change pitch as the moisture levels change, meaning that as they are played they go out of tune. Until recently drone reeds were also cane but now many pipers have replaced cane reeds with synthetic reeds. Cane drone reeds are incredibly unreliable; they could stop working without warning and also change pitch as they are played. Synthetic reeds are much more reliable, they are easier to use and don't change pitch meaning once

2016-598: Is written in the key of D major , where the C and F are sharp (despite the key-signature usually being omitted from scores), however only some tunes are in D major. Due to the lack of chromatic notes , to change key is also to change modes; tunes are in A Mixolydian (most commonly), D major , B minor , or occasionally E Dorian . In concert pitch (notes on the piano) it will be B ♭ Mixolydian , E ♭ major, C Aeolian , or occasionally F Dorian. Traditionally, certain notes were sometimes tuned slightly off from just intonation . For example, on some old chanters

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2112-656: The British military and in pipe bands throughout the world. The bagpipe of any kind is first attested in Scotland around 1400. The earliest references to bagpipes in Scotland are in a military context, and it is in that context that the great Highland bagpipe became established in the British military and achieved the widespread prominence it enjoys today, whereas other bagpipe traditions throughout Europe, ranging from Portugal to Russia, almost universally went into decline by

2208-473: The MacCrimmons  – and seems to have emerged as a distinct form during the 17th century. "Light music" is also referred to as ceòl beag. Ceòl beag includes marches ( 4 , 4 , 8 , 4 , etc.), dance tunes (particularly strathspeys , reels , hornpipes , and jigs ), slow airs , and more. A common combination, particularly for competition purposes,

2304-467: The River Forth , near Stirling. The English appear to have advanced in four divisions. The Scots assembled defensive formations known as schiltrons , which were strong defensive squares of men with pikes. Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray , commanded the Scottish vanguard , which was stationed about a mile south of Stirling, near the church of St. Ninian, while the king commanded the rearguard at

2400-530: The Scottish Highlands . It was besieged in 1314 by Bruce's younger brother Edward Bruce , and the English decided that if the castle was not relieved by mid-summer it would be surrendered to the Scots. The English could not ignore this challenge, and prepared and equipped a substantial campaign. Edward II requested from England, Wales and Ireland 2,000 heavily armoured cavalry and 13,000 infantry. It

2496-608: The World Pipe Band Championships . Battle of Bannockburn The Battle of Bannockburn ( Scottish Gaelic : Blàr Allt nam Bànag or Blàr Allt a' Bhonnaich ) was fought on 23–24 June 1314, between the army of Robert the Bruce , King of Scots , and the army of King Edward II of England , during the First War of Scottish Independence . It was a decisive victory for Robert Bruce and formed

2592-596: The saxophones , and brass instruments such as the trumpet and trombone . Well known bagadoù include Bagad Kemper , Kevrenn Alre , Bagad Brieg and Bagad Cap Caval . In Brittany, the great Highland bagpipe is known as the binioù braz , in contrast to the binioù kozh , the small traditional Breton bagpipe. One notable development of the Highland bagpipe in Brittany is the creation of slightly shorter drones in C (Scottish "B"; see notes on tuning above), so that

2688-434: The "great music" of the great Highland bagpipe is referred to as ceòl mòr . Ceòl mòr consists of a slow "ground" movement ( Scottish Gaelic : ùrlar ) which is a simple theme, then a series of increasingly complex variations on this theme, and ends with a return to the ground. The ceòl mòr style was developed by the well-patronized dynasties of bagpipers – MacArthurs, MacGregors , Rankins, and especially

2784-658: The 1970s. The great Highland bagpipe was also adopted in Thailand; around 1921, King Rama VI ordered a set to accompany the marching exercises of the Sua Pa Wild Tiger Corps . This was a royal guard unit which had previously practiced to the sounds of an oboe called pi chawa . Although the bagpipes arrived from the British Isles with a user's manual, no one was able to figure out how to play them, so bassoon player Khun Saman Siang-prajak went to

2880-509: The Bannockburn. This story is important because it was a reflection of Robert the Bruce's leadership. It is stated in an article by Sidney Dean that "While controversial among his peers, Bruce earned the respect of his soldiers by leading from the front and displaying physical courage." The second English cavalry force was commanded by Robert Clifford and Henry de Beaumont. Their forces included Sir Thomas de Grey of Heaton , father of

2976-732: The British Embassy and learned how to play the instrument with the British soldiers, and then became instructor to the rest of the Corps. The band, which plays Thai as well as Scottish tunes, still practices at Vachiravuth High School in Bangkok, which is named for Rama VI. During the First World War, some Breton pipers serving in the French Army came in contact with the pipers of Scottish regiments, and brought back home

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3072-475: The British Isles. But he needed Scotland's allegiance, which led to his campaign to capture Scotland. The Wars of Scottish Independence between England and Scotland began in 1296. Initially, the English were successful under the command of Edward I: they won victories at the Battle of Dunbar (1296) and at the Capture of Berwick (1296) . The removal of John Balliol from the Scottish throne also contributed to

3168-603: The Bruce enough time to decide whether to move northwards beyond the Forth or westwards up the river into a district of mosses and hills. Robert knew that the latter decision would influence the plans of Edward II and his lords. Given the declared objective and the advancing march the previous week, it was obvious that the English would continue their advance on Stirling. In an effort to "rescue" Stirling, Edward II continued to hurry his troops: they marched seventy miles in one week. Many historians criticise Edward II for this move, as he

3264-478: The D and high G would be somewhat sharp. According to Forsyth (1935), the C and F holes were traditionally bored exactly midway between those for B and D and those for E and G, respectively, resulting in approximately a quarter-tone difference from just intonation, somewhat like a "blue" note in jazz . Today, however, the notes of the chanter are usually tuned in just intonation to the Mixolydian scale, with

3360-622: The Earl of Hereford. The victory against the English at Bannockburn is one of the most celebrated in Scottish history, and for centuries the battle has been commemorated in verse and art. The National Trust for Scotland operates the Bannockburn Visitor Centre (previously known as the Bannockburn Heritage Centre). Though the exact location for the battle is uncertain, a modern monument was erected in

3456-417: The English on the other side of the wood, thought that he must have his share, and issuing from the wood with his division marched across the open ground towards the two afore-named lords. Sir Henry de Beaumont called to his men: "Let us wait a little; let them come on; give them room". "Sir," said Sir Thomas Gray, "I doubt that whatever you give them now, they will have all too soon". "Very well" exclaimed

3552-400: The English success. However, the Scots defeated the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. This was countered by Edward I's victory at the Battle of Falkirk (1298) . By 1304, Scotland had been conquered, but in 1306 Robert the Bruce seized the Scottish throne and the war was reopened. After the death of Edward I in 1307, his son Edward II of England was crowned as king, but

3648-624: The G tuned to the harmonic seventh which is significantly flatter than the just minor seventh or the equal temperament minor seventh. The two tenor drones are an octave below the keynote of the chanter (low A), and the bass drone two octaves below. There are some documented examples of other tunings: Forsyth lists three traditional drone tunings: Ellis , A 3 –A 3 –A 2 ; Glen , A 4 –A 4 –A 2 ; and Mackay , G 3 –B 3 –C 2 . Modern developments have included reliable synthetic drone reeds as well as synthetic bags that deal with moisture arguably better than hide bags. The chanter reed

3744-403: The Highland bagpipes is not substantiated by the text itself, nor by any record of any prosecutions under this act for playing or owning bagpipes. However, the loss of the clan chief's power and patronage and widespread emigration did contribute to its decline. It was soon realised that Highlanders made excellent troops and a number of regiments were raised from the Highlands over the second half of

3840-765: The Highland: "On hieland pipes, Scotte and Hybernicke / Let heir be shraichs of deadlie clarions." In 1746, after the forces loyal to the Hanoverian government had defeated the Jacobites in the Battle of Culloden , King George II attempted to assimilate the Highlands into Great Britain by weakening Gaelic culture and the Scottish clan system, though the oft-repeated claim that the Act of Proscription 1746 banned

3936-503: The Middle East where the British military's use of pipes made a favourable impression. Piping spread to Arabic countries such as Jordan, Egypt and Oman, some of whom had previously existing bagpipe traditions. In Oman, the instrument is called habban and is used in cities such as Muscat , Salalah , and Sohar . In Uganda president Idi Amin forbade the export of African blackwood , to encourage local bagpipe construction, during

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4032-457: The Sovereign , a position dating back to the time of Queen Victoria . The great Highland bagpipes have played a minor, but not insignificant role in rock and pop music. Well-known examples of songs giving prominence to bagpipes include: The great Highland bagpipe is widely used by both soloists and pipe bands , both civilian and military, and is now played in countries around the world. It

4128-717: The Vita Edwardi Secundi gives a different account: 'On Sunday, which was the vigil of St John's day, as they [the English] passed by a certain wood and were approaching Stirling Castle, the Scots were seen straggling under the trees as if in flight, and a certain knight, Henry de Boune pursued them with the Welsh to the entrance of the wood. For he had in mind that if he found Robert Bruce there he would either kill him or carry him off captive. But when he had come thither, Robert himself came suddenly out of his hiding-place in

4224-537: The advance of the knights, but were ordered to stop shooting to avoid additional friendly fire . The English then attempted to deploy their English and Welsh longbowmen to flank the advancing Scots, but they were dispersed by 500 Scottish cavalry under the marischal Sir Robert Keith . (Although the Scottish cavalry is sometimes described as light cavalry, this appears to be a misinterpretation of Barbour's statement that these were men-at-arms on lighter horses than those of their English counterparts. ) The English cavalry

4320-526: The attractions created by a £9m redevelopment of the centre and the nearby battlefield memorial is a computerised multiplayer game. On 11 June 2020, during the George Floyd protests in the United Kingdom , the statue was defaced with graffiti. In 2016 Swedish metal band Sabaton released a song, "Blood of Bannockburn", on their album The Last Stand about this battle. " Scots Wha Hae "

4416-498: The available evidence, Reese concludes that "it seems doubtful if even a third of the foot soldiers returned to England." If his estimate is accurate, of 16,000 English infantrymen, about 11,000 were killed. The English chronicler Thomas Walsingham gave the number of English men-at-arms who were killed as 700, while 500 more men-at-arms were spared for ransom. The Scottish losses appear to have been comparatively light, with only two knights among those killed. The immediate aftermath

4512-492: The bagpipe able to play it, would sound), but in bagpipe terminology are referred to as B ♭ instruments, with the pitch given for the tonic A rather than the C of conventional transposition terminology. As stated, most bagpipes currently sound sharper than this, but the great Highland bagpipe is often nonetheless described as a transposing instrument in D ♭ . Historically it was indeed flatter, as evidenced by recordings, and extant instruments. Highland bagpipe music

4608-401: The bagpipe chanter, and has a top piece before the reed so it can be blown directly from the mouth. It is also used as a first instrument so that learners can initially learn the finger technique before learning the mechanics of controlling the bag. It is almost exclusively made of hardwood or plastic. The practice chanter of today may also be a descendant of the hornpipe or "stock-and-horn",

4704-549: The battle. There is first-hand evidence in a poem, written just after the battle by the captured Carmelite friar Robert Baston, that one or both sides employed slingers and crossbowmen. The exact site of the Battle of Bannockburn has been debated for many years, but most modern historians agree that the traditional site, where a visitor centre and statue have been erected, is not correct. A large number of alternative locations have been considered, but modern researchers believe only two merit serious consideration: This battle

4800-462: The captured nobles, Edward II released Robert's wife Elizabeth de Burgh , sisters Christina Bruce , Mary Bruce and daughter Marjorie Bruce , and Robert Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow, ending their eight-year imprisonment in England. Following the battle, King Robert rewarded Sir Gilbert Hay of Erroll with the office of hereditary Lord High Constable of Scotland . The defeat of the English opened up

4896-503: The chanter is in Mixolydian mode , which has a flattened seventh scale degree. It has a range from one whole tone lower than the tonic to one octave above it. The drones are tuned to this tonic note, called A (specifically A 4 ). The nine notes of the chanter scale are "low G, low A, B, C (sounds as a C ♯ ), D, E, F (sounds as a F ♯ ), high G, and high A". However, the A pitch of most pipers and pipe bands currently

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4992-414: The chronicler Thomas Grey . The younger Grey described the battle: Robert Lord de Clifford and Henry de Beaumont, with three hundred men-at-arms , made a circuit upon the other side of the wood towards the castle, keeping the open ground. Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray , King Robert's nephew, who was the leader of the Scottish advanced guard, hearing that his uncle had repulsed the advanced guard of

5088-539: The drones are tuned to each other they will stay there and only have to be tuned to the chanter. Highland pipes were originally constructed of such locally available woods as holly , laburnum , and boxwood . Later, as expanding colonisation and trade provided access to more exotic woods, tropical hardwoods including cocuswood (from the Caribbean), ebony (from West Africa and South and Southeast Asia) and African blackwood (from sub-Saharan Africa) became standard in

5184-400: The eighteenth century. Although the early history of pipers within these regiments is not well documented, there is evidence that these regiments had pipers at an early stage and there are numerous accounts of pipers playing into battle during the 19th century, a practice which continued into World War I when it was abandoned after the early battles, due to the high casualty rate. The custom

5280-569: The entrance to the New Park. His brother Edward led the third division. The fourth division was nominally under the youthful Walter the Steward , but actually under the command of Sir James Douglas . The Scottish archers used yew-stave longbows and, while these were equal to English longbows in strength, there were probably fewer Scottish archers, possibly only 500 although there is no evidence as to their number. These archers played little part in

5376-399: The flemish footman shattered the chivalry of France—and more than either of these it initiated the change which was to come over the mediaeval art of war, in demonstrating the superiority of infantry properly handled to the mounted men-at-arms upon whom the entire stress of fighting had hitherto been laid. The defeated were quick to learn their lesson and apply it in their own way. This shows

5472-703: The great Highland bagpipe is limited by its range (nine notes), lack of dynamics, and the enforced legato style, due to the continuous airflow from the bag. The great Highland bagpipe is a closed reed instrument, which means that the four reeds are completely encased within the instrument and the player cannot change the sound of the instrument via mouth position or tonguing. As a result, notes cannot be separated by simply stopping blowing or tonguing, so grace notes and combinations of grace notes, called "embellishments", are used for this purpose. These are more complicated ornaments using two or more grace notes include doublings, taorluaths, throws, grips, and birls. There are also

5568-468: The introduction of bagpipes to Scotland, concrete evidence is limited until approximately the 15th century. One clan still owns a remnant of a set of bagpipes said to have been carried at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, though the veracity of this claim is debated. There are many ancient legends and stories about bagpipes which were passed down through minstrels and oral tradition, whose origins are now lost. However, textual evidence for Scottish bagpipes

5664-488: The late 18th and early 19th century. In the modern day, synthetic materials, particularly Polypenco , have become quite popular, especially among pipe bands where uniformity of chanters is desirable. Ornamentation on stands of pipes can be made from: ivory, horn, nickel, German silver , silver, stainless steel, imitation ivory (often catalin or possibly bakelite depending on the year the pipes were made), or other exotic woods. Compared to many other musical instruments,

5760-431: The late 19th and early 20th century. Though widely famous for its role in military and civilian pipe bands, the great Highland bagpipe is also used for a solo virtuosic style called pìobaireachd , ceòl mòr , or simply pibroch . Through development over the centuries, the great Highland bagpipes probably reached something like their distinctive modern form in the 18th century. Though popular belief sets varying dates for

5856-460: The majority of chanters are unkeyed, some make extensive use of keys to extend the range and/or the number of accidentals the chanter can play. The most common pipe featuring this arrangement is the Northumbrian smallpipe. Another variant of the chanter is the two-piped chanter (often called a double chanter). The chanter pipes may be designed to be played separately, one with each hand, or

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5952-713: The many tunes played in that key will have drone accompaniment in the tonic. Many bagad pipers will keep two sets of pipes, one in standard B ♭ (Scottish "A") and one in C, and a whole suite may be performed in C. Some of the most famous pipe bands in the world are the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band , Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band , Simon Fraser University Pipe Band , The Inveraray & District Pipe Band (the reigning world champions), The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band , The St. Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band and Peoples Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band , all of which have won

6048-443: The most commonly used and are often played in succession. All grace notes are performed rapidly, by quick finger movements, giving an effect similar to tonguing or articulation on modern wind instruments. Due to the lack of rests and dynamics, all expression in great Highland bagpipe music comes from the use of embellishments and to a larger degree by varying the duration of notes. Despite the fact that most great Highland bagpipe music

6144-556: The most popular tourist attractions in the area. The battlefield has been included in the Inventory of Historic Battlefields in Scotland and protected by Historic Scotland under the Historic Environment (Amendment) Act 2011. The National Trust for Scotland operates the Bannockburn Visitor Centre (previously known as the Bannockburn Heritage Centre), which is open daily from March through October. On 31 October 2012

6240-407: The night, the English forces crossed the stream known as the Bannockburn, establishing their position on the plain beyond it. A Scottish knight, Alexander Seton , who was fighting in the service of Edward II of England, deserted the English camp and told Bruce that English morale was low and encouraged him to attack. In the morning, the Scots advanced from New Park. Not long after daybreak, Edward

6336-576: The north of England to Scottish raids and allowed the Scottish invasion of Ireland . These finally led, after the failure of the Declaration of Arbroath to secure diplomatic recognition of Scotland's independence by the Pope, to the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton in 1328. Under the treaty, the English crown recognised the independence of the Kingdom of Scotland, and acknowledged Robert the Bruce as

6432-779: The original building was closed for demolition and replacement by a new design, inspired by traditional Scottish buildings, by Reiach and Hall Architects. The project is a partnership between the National Trust for Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland , funded by the Scottish Government and the Heritage Lottery Fund . The battlefield's new visitor centre—now rebranded as the Bannockburn Visitor Centre—opened in March 2014. One of

6528-481: The place of honour at his side in his own schiltron with the men of Carrick and Argyll. After Robert Bruce killed Sir Henry de Bohun on the first day of the battle, the English withdrew for the day. That night, Sir Alexander Seton, a Scottish noble serving in Edward's army, defected to the Scottish side and informed King Robert of the English camp's low morale, telling him they could win. Robert Bruce decided to launch

6624-414: The remaining troops, turning their defeat into a rout . King Edward, with about 500 men, first fled for Stirling Castle where Sir Philip de Moubray, commander of the castle, turned him away as the castle would shortly be surrendered to the Scots. Then, pursued by James Douglas and a small troop of horsemen, Edward fled to Dunbar Castle , from which he took a ship to Berwick. From the carnage of Bannockburn,

6720-492: The rest of the army tried to escape to the safety of the English border, 90 miles (140 km) south. Many were killed by the pursuing Scottish army or by the inhabitants of the countryside they passed through. Historian Peter Reese wrote that "only one sizeable group of men—all foot soldiers—made good their escape to England." These were a force of Welsh spearmen who were kept together by their commander, Sir Maurice de Berkeley . The majority of them reached Carlisle . Weighing

6816-466: The rest of the war. A final use of the pipes in combat was in 1967 during the Aden Emergency , when 1st Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were led into the rebel-held Crater district by their pipe major playing the regimental marches. The great Highland bagpipe is classified as a woodwind instrument, like the bassoon , oboe , and clarinet. Although it is further classified as

6912-568: The rightful king. The following are the notable casualties and captives of the battle. In 1932 the Bannockburn Preservation Committee, under Edward Bruce, 10th Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, presented lands to the National Trust for Scotland . Further lands were purchased in 1960 and 1965 to facilitate visitor access. A modern monument was erected in a field above the possible site of the battle, where

7008-428: The royal bodyguard. Once they were clear of the battle, d'Argentan turned to the king and said: " Sire, your protection was committed to me, but since you are safely on your way, I will bid you farewell for never yet have I fled from a battle, nor will I now. " He turned his horse to charge back into the ranks of Scottish, where he was overborne and slain. Edward fled with his personal bodyguard and panic spread among

7104-419: The said Henry, "if you are afraid, be off". "Sir," answered the said Thomas, "it is not from fear that I shall fly this day." So saying, he spurred in between Beaumont and Sir William Deyncourt and charged into the thick of the enemy. William was killed, Thomas was taken prisoner, his horse being killed on the pikes, and he himself carried off with the Scots on foot when they marched off, having utterly routed

7200-457: The sheer importance of the Scottish spearman on the European stage as many countries began to adapt to this infantry dominated medieval battleground. They were moving away from cavalry and more towards the domination of the foot soldier. Another aspect is that this battle was for the rights to Stirling Castle essentially. Robert the Bruce did not want to give the castle up to the English as it was

7296-565: The siege failed when he found his path blocked by a smaller army commanded by Bruce. The Scottish army was divided into four divisions of schiltrons commanded by (1) Bruce, (2) his brother Edward Bruce , (3) his nephew, Thomas Randolph, the Earl of Moray and (4) one jointly commanded by Sir James Douglas and the young Walter the Steward. Bruce's friend, Angus Og Macdonald, Lord of the Isles, brought thousands of Islesmen to Bannockburn, including galloglass warriors, and King Robert assigned them

7392-405: The siege on Stirling. The Hereford-Gloucester force was the first to cross over the Bannockburn and marched toward the woodlands that hid the Scots and stood in the way of the English on their way to Stirling. Little did the English know that Bruce had ventured ahead away from his natural protection. King Robert was not then fully armed for combat, but was instead armed for reconnaissance with only

7488-428: The simplest case, one pipe is used to play the melody while the second provides a variable drone, while more complex pipes may separate certain individual notes into separate, stopped pipes. Because of the accompanying drone or drones, the lack of modulation in bagpipe melody, and stable timbre of the reed sound, in many bagpipe traditions the tones of the chanter are tuned using just intonation , although bagpipe tuning

7584-414: The squadron of the said two lords. Some of the English fled to the castle, others to the king's army, which having already left the road through the wood had debouched upon a plain near the water of Forth beyond Bannockburn, an evil, deep, wet marsh, where the said English army unharnessed and remained all night, having sadly lost confidence and being too much disaffected by the events of the day. During

7680-523: The two chanters may be played in unison (as in most Arabic bagpipes). One chanter may provide a drone accompaniment to the other, or the two chanters may play in a harmony of thirds and sixths (as in the northern Italian Müsa and central-southern Italian zampogna ). In pipes of the Carpathian basin up to five separate chanter bores may be placed in parallel within a single chanter assembly, providing both melodic and rhythmic possibilities: in

7776-404: The upcoming battle. This was because the woodland gave Bruce and his foot soldiers an advantage since the English were very adept at cavalry. The Scots split their army into four divisions and the Bruce commanded the four divisions to form a diamond formation. Bruce covered the rear to the south, Douglas to the east, Randolph to the north (the direction of Stirling), with 500 horsemen under Keith to

7872-450: The vanguard into battle. He had also tried to persuade the king that the battle should be postponed. This led the king to accuse him of cowardice. Goaded by the accusation, Gloucester advanced to meet the Scots. Few accompanied Gloucester and, when he reached the Scottish lines, he was quickly surrounded and killed. The English were gradually pushed back and ground down by the Scots' schiltrons . The English longbowmen attempted to support

7968-521: The war. Bill Millin , the personal piper of Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat , was at the landing of 1st Special Service Brigade at Sword Beach on 6 June 1944 in Normandy. At Lovat's request he marched up and down the beach playing his pipes under fire. The Calgary Highlanders had company pipers play during the unit's first battle in Normandy in July 1944, but likewise refrained from using pipers again for

8064-560: The warring parties are believed to have camped on the night before the battle. The monument consists of two semicircular walls depicting the opposing parties. Nearby stands the 1960s statue of Bruce by Pilkington Jackson . Although the statue was conceived by Pilkington Jackson he commissioned Thomas Taylor Bowie of the Ontario College of Art in Toronto to create the statue. The monument, and the associated visitor centre, are some of

8160-505: The west, in reserve. On 23 June 1314, two English cavalry formations advanced. The first was commanded by the Earl of Gloucester and by the Earl of Hereford . They followed behind a smaller detachment of roughly 300 soldiers led by Sir Robert Clifford and Sir Henry de Beaumont who marched closer to the River Forth. Both of these detachments marched in front of the main fighting force. These two detachments were tasked with lifting

8256-443: The wood, and the said Henry seeing that he could not resist the multitude of Scots, turned his horse with the intention of regaining his companions; but Robert opposed him and struck him on the head with an axe that he carried in his hand. His squire, trying to protect or rescue his lord, was overwhelmed by the Scots.' The Scots then rushed the English forces under Gloucester's and Hereford's command, who retreated, struggling back over

8352-499: Was a battle that Robert the Bruce hoped would confirm his place on the throne of Scotland and force Edward II to recognize him King. Bruce also faced internal struggles for the crown of Scotland among the "Balliols, Bruces, and the Scottish political nation in a decades-long contest for the crown." As stated by W. M. Mackenzie, "The victory at Bannockburn is of more than national interest and had other results than those immediately affecting Scotland. With Falkirk and Courtrai (1302), where

8448-412: Was achieved in this piece by placing the piper at a distance from the orchestra." Peter Maxwell Davies' Orkney Wedding, With Sunrise (1985) also features a great Highland Bagpipe solo towards the end. The great Highland bagpipe plays a role as both a solo and ensemble instrument. In ensembles, it is generally played as part of a pipe band. One notable form of solo employment is the position of Piper to

8544-420: Was an attempt by Robert the Bruce to legitimise his kingship through combat. An article by Medieval Warfare states, "Robert Bruce, King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329 aged around 55, was no stranger to the battlefield. He waged war to wear down his Scottish opponents and the English regime in Scotland, culminating in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, to legitimise his kingship and free his kingdom." It

8640-485: Was hemmed in against the Bannockburn, making it difficult for them to manoeuvre. Unable to hold their formations, they broke rank. It soon became clear to Aymer de Valence and Giles d'Argentan (reputedly the third-best knight in Europe) that the English had lost the battle and Edward II needed at all costs to be led to safety. Seizing the reins of the king's horse, they dragged him away, closely followed by 500 knights of

8736-412: Was incapable of providing the determined leadership his father had shown, and the English position soon became more difficult. In 1313, Bruce demanded the allegiance of all remaining Balliol supporters, under threat of losing their lands. He also demanded the surrender of the English garrison at Stirling Castle , one of the most important castles held by the English, as it commanded the route north into

8832-450: Was likely armed with axes, swords and pikes, and included only a few bowmen. The precise numerical advantage of the English forces relative to the Scottish forces is unknown, but modern researchers estimate that the Scottish faced English forces one-and-a-half to three times their number. On the morning of 23 June 1314 it was still not certain if a battle was going to take place. The armies were still eight miles apart, giving King Robert

8928-511: Was not acting as a leader of a well-trained army but was instead acting like a pilgrim. This bad decision-making by Edward II led to horses, horsemen, and infantry becoming extremely worn out with toil and hunger. Now Edward II was within reach of Stirling. Edward II and his advisors began to make plans for the upcoming battle. Edward and his advisors knew the places where the Scots were likely to challenge them, and sent orders for their troops to prepare for an enemy established in boggy ground near

9024-470: Was revived by the 51st Highland Division for their assault on the enemy lines at the start of the Second Battle of El Alamein on 23 October 1943. Each attacking company was led by a piper, playing tunes that would allow other units to recognise which Highland regiment they belonged to. Although the attack was successful, losses among the pipers were high, and they were not used in combat again during

9120-420: Was surprised to see the Scottish pikemen emerge from the cover of the woods and advance towards his position. As Bruce's army drew nearer, they paused and knelt in prayer. Edward reportedly said in surprise, "They pray for mercy!" "For mercy, yes," one of his attendants replied, "but from God, not you. These men will conquer or die." The Earl of Gloucester had argued with the Earl of Hereford over who should lead

9216-540: Was the surrender of Stirling Castle, one of Scotland's most important fortresses, to King Robert. He then slighted (razed) it to prevent it from being retaken. Nearly as important was the surrender of Bothwell Castle , where a sizeable party of English nobles, including the Earl of Hereford, had taken refuge. At the same time, the Edwardian strongholds of Dunbar and Jedburgh were also being captured. By 1315, only Berwick remained outside of Robert's control. In exchange for

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