wedding bagpipe music

wedding bagpipe music

Photo by Amy @ Amy Lou Photography

What does a bagpiper play at a wedding?

Wedding Bagpipe Music and more

Here are some recordings of the wedding bagpipe music I play when piping at a Wedding. The different stages of your wedding will require a different “mood” of music. For example, I will play very different types of tunes for piping you Up the Aisle to, than I will for piping during your Confetti Shower.

I also the play the Scottish Small Pipes, which are ideal if you wish for some quieter and more mellow bagpipe music at particular points in your day, particularly during your Wedding Ceremony. I’ve included recordings of both the Highland Pipes and the Small Pipes for many of the bagpipe tunes / songs that I play at a wedding.

Guests’ Arrival

During the 30-45 minute period as your guests arrive, I’ll play the Highland Pipes to welcome them with a wide variety of tunes from my entire repertoire. Tunes will range from the slow, fast, to the fast and furious!

Here’s a small selection:

Crossing the Minch & The Train Journey North (quite fast!)

These two old, but timeless traditional hornpipes which were composed over 50 years ago, help set the celebratory tone to your day!

Murdo's Wedding (not too fast!)

This jaunty little pipe march was composed by Major Gavin Stoddart MBE, the famous army piper who was the Director of Army Bagpipe Music at Edinburgh Castle.

My own compositions

A selection of eight tunes, six of which are composed by myself. Such tunes, with a variety of different rhythms, are typical of the “medley” I play as your guests arrive.

Last Tango in Harris (pretty-fast!)

Beginning with the Last Tango in Harris, here’s a set of of both traditional and more modern jigs. These are also some of the tunes which would make up a medley.

Piping the Bride or Partner up the Aisle

Walking Up the Aisle will be one of your first really big moments of your day! It’s worth considering whether you would like the (“big”) Highland Pipes, or the quieter and more mellow Scottish Small Pipes played here. Here’s a selection of tunes I feel are appropriate for this point in your Ceremony, which have the appropriate “mood”.

Highland Cathedral

Highland Cathedral is a stately and very well known bagpipe tune, which for good reason is frequently played as a Wedding Bagpipe song. It has a hymn-like feel which makes it ideal  for your wedding bagpiper to play this as you make your way Up the Aisle. It works best on the Highland Pipes.

Fun fact: The tune was composed by two German musicians for a Highland Games held in Germany in 1982!

The Skye Boat Song

The Skye Boat Song is a very well known song which commemorates Bonnie Prince Charlie’s crossing in a small boat from Benbecula in the Western Isles, to the Isle of Skye, whilst evading government troops following his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. It’s also the melody for the main theme song of the Outlander television series!

Fun fact: The Skye Boat Song is one of Doctor Who‘s favourites!. You’ll hear the Doctor playing it on his Recorder in Episode 6 of Doctor Who – The Web of Fear (1968)!

The Rose of Allendale

This is a Northumbrian folk song, composed in the 1830s, and covered by many Sottish and Irish folk bands including The Corries. This tune isn’t played by many other Wedding Bagpipers. It’s slightly faster than the slow airs typically played at this stage of a wedding, but I think it works very well.

Highland Pipes


Small Pipes

She Moved Through the Fair

This is a well known and melodic Irish song, usually played quite slowly. The melody is very old and has been traced back to both Ireland and Scotland. It’s been played at weddings for a long time, not just on the bagpipes, but also on other traditional Scottish and Irish musical instruments.

Highland Pipes


Small Pipes

The Dark Island

This is a song written about the island of Benbecula in the Western Isles. The song became popular in the 1960s, and today I’m often asked to play it for many types of occasion. It’s a very musical slow air which many of your guests will recognise.

Highland Pipes


Small Pipes

Fun fact: The Dark Island was the theme tune to the 1960s BBC mini-series of the same name! The actual name of the tune is Dr Mackay’s Farewell to Creagorry, composed by Iain MacLachlan around 1958.

Caledonia

Caledonia is a famous Scottish folk ballad composed by Dougie Maclean in 1977 which has captured the hearts of many Scots. It’s a very atmospheric tune, sung and played by many artistes and bands. It’s particularly appropriate as a wedding bagpipe song, to be played as you walk up the Aisle. It’s no surprise that it’s frequently requested!

Highland Pipes


Small Pipes

Fun fact: Dougie Maclean, composed the words and chords to Caledonia in less than 10 minutes, whilst on a beach in Brittany, France feeling homesick!

Signing of the Register

The Mingulay Boat Song

During the Signing of the Register I play a Slow Air and then to provide a contrast I play a fast jig. The Slow Air here is the Mingulay Boat Song and the following jig is called the Jig Runrig. The Mingulay Boat Song is a song written in the 1930s and was recorded by The Corries. The length of these two tunes put together lasts approximately the same amount of time it usually takes to conduct the Signing of the Register.

The Mingulay Boat Song

Newly Weds down the Aisle

The Highland Wedding

As well as being the tune of choice for playing the bride and groom out of their wedding ceremony, the Highland Wedding is also one of the greatest competition pipe marches. The version played today was composed in 1856 and is still played by the top competing solo bagpipers and Grade I pipe bands.

John Macdonald of Glencoe

John Macdonald of Glencoe is a tune composed prior to World War 1. It’s a tune all pipers enjoy playing and is a great tune to play for this part of the day. It’s also a competition pipe march, which I’ve played frequently in solo competitions and in the Grade I World Pipe Band Championships.

Scotland the Brave

Wedding Bagpipe Song Scotland the Brave

Scotland the Brave needs no introduction. This is a rousing pipe march, recognised all over the world! It sets the celebratory tone as you both make your way down the aisle as a married couple.

Fun fact: Scotland the Brave was played as Scotland’s National Anthem for Scotland’s matches in the 1982, 1986 and 1990 FIFA World Cups!

Mairi's Wedding

Bagpipe tune for newly married couple down the aisle - mairi's wedding

Mairi’s Wedding, also known as the Lewis Bridal Song, is celebratory, and very well known wedding bagpipe tune. As the name suggests, it’s very celebratory and is great to play as you come back down the aisle.

Fun fact: The melody to Mairi’s Wedding actually has two completely different songs written for it! The original composition from 1934 was written to celebrate a friend of the composer winning the prestigious National Mòd Gold Medal. The song more well known today, “Step we gaily, on we go, Heel for heel and toe for toe..”, was written in 1936.

Confetti Shower

Heilan Laddie & The Black Bear

These two quick pipe marches, Heilan Laddie and The Black Bear are the order of the day as you both run the gauntlet of your Confetti Shower!

Fun Facts: The Black Bear is reputedly the fastest played regimental march in the entire British Army! This is a very old tune, for which there is manuscript dated 1866. It was originally called The Black Baird.

The Rakes of Kildare

Should your Confetti Shower take a little longer, I’ll dig out some more tunes from my repertoire such as these fast jigs.

Married Couple to the Top Table

Mairi's Wedding

To play you to your seats at the Top Table, Mairi’s Wedding is the tune traditionally played – recognisable, celebratory and easy for your guests to clap along to. This tune is great to “announce” your entrance to your Wedding Breakfast.

Mairi’s Wedding on a windy day!

Scotland the Brave

Wedding Bagpipe Song Scotland the Brave

Scotland the Brave is also a good choice to have played here. Like Mairi’s Wedding, it’s recognisable and easy for your guests to clap along to.

Fun fact: Scotland the Brave was played as Scotland’s National Anthem for Scotland’s matches in the 1982, 1986 and 1990 FIFA World Cups!

Campbeltown Loch

Bagpipe song to play at a wedding - Campbeltown Loch

The Glendaruel Highlanders, or commonly known as the song beginning “Campbeltown Loch, I wish you were whisky!” is what I play as I march out of the dining hall having recited the Piper’s Toast.

Fun fact: The song’s composer was lamenting the price of whisky in the pubs of Campbeltown. He wished that nearby Campbeltown Loch was filled with whisky, so he could drink from that instead!

Other tunes I play

For events where a lot of playing is required, such as the guests’ arrival at a wedding or welcoming people to a corporate event I play a great many different tunes – both traditional and contemporary. Here are a few samples of pipe tunes I play at these times.

Hornpipes on Highland Pipes

A set of both two modern, and two older “hornpipes” played on the Highland Pipes

Jigs on Small Pipes

Two quick jigs played on the Scottish Small Pipes

Freedom Come All Ye

The Bloody Fields of Flanders which is the melody to the famous Scottish folk song Freedom Come All Ye.

Caught on Camera!

Some short clips of me piping at various events, and competition performances with Pipe Bands

Visual Learning World - Conference 2019

Six Nations Rugby @ The Black Ivy, Edinburgh

Skyrora Space Technology - Burns Supper

Zhara and Shiv - 'Getting Hitched Asian Style', Jul 2019

Police Scotland Fife Pipe Band - Grade 1 Scottish Pipe Band Championships 2019

World Pipe Band Championships

Piping Live Festival