Join Richard McLauchlan at the Boswell Book Festival and be transported musically and anecdotally through the storied history of Scotland’s iconic instrument – the Bagpipes.

Did you know that the Emperor Nero was history's first known player? Or that Tsar Peter the Great turned his departed pet bear into a version of the instrument? The Great Highland Bagpipe has sounded out across some of the most infamous of battlefields and continues to play an enduring role in Scotland's national identity.

Biographer and former Pipe Major Richard McLauchlan’s book The Bagpipes: A Cultural History tells the long story of an instrument boasting over 130 varieties, yet commonly associated with just one, from one country: Scotland’s Great Highland Bagpipe.

No event like this would be complete without hearing the pipes, and there will be a short live performance. Book your tickets at Boswell Book Festival To see the complete programme of this year's festival click here