

What emerged was the instrument we know today as the Great Highland Bagpipe, and a form of music, piobaireachd (pronounced 'pee-broch'). Piobaireachd is unique to this instrument. It cannot be successfully reproduced on any other. (The name piobaireachd is literally 'piping' in Gaelic.) This classical pipe music consists of a theme, known as the ground, or in Gaelic the urlar ('oorlar'), and variations on this theme.

The theme can express joy, sadness, or sometimes, in the 'gathering' tunes, a peremptory warning or call to arms. Variations on the theme usually progress to the 'crunluath' variation, where the piper's fingers give a dazzling technical display of embellishments or gracenotes. The Piobaireachd Society was founded in 1901 to encourage the playing teaching and study of this music.