Well, we have an extra Tuesday in August this year, and I wasn’t sure what else to do, so here’s a fun little opinion piece.
In case you couldn’t tell from my Twitter handle (among other things) I am part Scottish. Not quite as Scottish as I thought I was several years ago, but still a good chunk of my ancestry comes from North of Hadrian’s Wall. That being said, I legitimately enjoy Scottish music. A lot. Maybe a little too much. So for the sake of variety (and some fun) here are my top five bands from the land of plaid.
Runrig
Formed in 1973, at the height of the British Folk-Rock movement, this band was dedicated to bringing traditional Scottish music into the 20th century, by combining electric guitars, keyboard and drums with Gaelic vocals in a thrilling blend that gets the blood pumping. The band is no longer together, but they enjoyed a long and successful career singing about Scottish places, events, and culture.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="
title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Saor Patrol
Saor patrol (pronounced “shore patrol) was formed as a means of promoting Scottish culture, history and tourism. With their exciting blend of Highland pipes, drums and electric guitar, they have thrilled across Europe and the rest of the world, even playing at Wacken, the world’s larges Heavy Metal festival.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="
title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Skipinnish
Skipinnish are known for their traditional approach to making music, with acoustic guitars, flutes, accordion, pipes drums and other instruments. However, they also add their own style and original lyrics, which I find quite fun.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="
title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Battlefield Band
Battlefield Band was formed in the middle of the folk revival era in 1969. They could definitely be called traditional, and have had a long and successful career, spanning many decades and over 30 albums.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="
title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The Corries
This is another very traditional Scottish duo formed in 1966. They were known for singing old Jacobite rebellion songs, and other political ballads about Scottish independence. They even wrote Scotland’s national anthem, Flower of Scotland, which they sing at all their football matches.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="
title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
So do you have a favorite band from Scotland? Do you even listen to Scottish music? Write below and tell me!