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Scottish Fiddle Music

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Scottish Fiddle Music

The violin had probably been introduced to Scotland from England around 1670, and was much prized (though perhaps not by Mary) among the nobility.  It rubbed shoulders with its medieval ancestors the rebec and Vielle (other stringed instruments);  one of the earliest mentions of the fiddle is in the royal treasurer's accounts for 1497, which mention a payment "at the king’s command, to the fiddler in Dunbar".

The Jacobite rebellion was crushed at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and was followed by parliamentary acts designed to stamp out symbols of Scottish independence, including the wearing of tartan and, more significantly, the playing of the highland bagpipes.  This led to a considerable transferral of both repertoire and playing techniques from the pipes to the fiddle (which fortunately was not banned).