h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The first time I ever heard a bagpipe 'live' was quite unexpected...

...it was close to Christmas, late in the afternoon, it was dark, it was cold, it was stormy, and it was snowing - a lot!

Coming out of a shop I thought I heard a bagpipe in the snowstorm - and shook my head in disbelief - on a big square in the centre of Stockholm ?

The noise continued however, so I just had to find out what was going on - crossing the square I could see vague shapes in the snow...

...they turned out to be two mothers with children - and a Scotsman in full glory - kilt, sporran and other accessories - and a bagpipe!

The Scotsman stopped playing to show the children his bagpipe - he even turned the bag inside out to show them that it was made of woolly skin (one of the mothers translated)

Then he looked at his knees, said 'not quite blue yet, I'll play another piece' and started playing again!

After that he obviously decided his knees were blue enough and went off to get a hot .

I walked home with a smile on my face - maniacs like that brighten your day!

They get everywhere! I had a similiar experience. My family and I were taking a crisp winter stroll one new year (probably after lunch) through Epping Forest. In the distance we could hear bagpipes - completely unexpectedly, it was the middle of Essex after all. We walked towards the mournful sound and eventually came across a lone Scotsman on top of a hillock greeting the New Year. Other than us several people had been drawn towards him. We all looked on and he carried on... I wonder if it was the same bloke!

Hmmmmm... my experience was several years ago, while I studied in Stockholm - something like 20 years ago - did he seem to be in his 50ies, with a beard (black at the time, possibly grizzled by now) and glasses?

It was probably about 15 years ago - he was a young-ish chap, no beard or glasses, quite handsome I remember but he was wearing a kilt... Perhaps it's a tradition among far-flung Scots to play the pipes to anyone who will listen!

Well, I guess it would be a possible way to earn some extra money while travelling - either people will give you money because they think it's 'exotic' - or to make you stop playing!

It beats working in a bar, anyway! Or fruit picking - I've got a friend who picked sweet peppers for four months. He can't even look at them now

We Scots like to leave our mark! I was in France over the weekend for a wedding. My Bro took his bag pipes with him and the that combined with the fact that we were all tartaned up meant that we almost stole the limelight from the B & G ...

Outside is the best place to hear the 'pipes. Inside it sounds like someones de-legging a cat who doesn't really want to be de-legged ...

If you want to hear the pipes at their bestest have a listen to Amazing Grace by the combined Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards - as evocative a piece of music as I've ever known - it was number UK No 1 for 5 weeks in 1972!