Skirling inspiration

I had a great idea over the weekend.

I deleted all the rock-type songs off my itty-bitty MP3 player on Saturday evening while my missus was working and fired it up with 'The Best of Scottish Pipes and Drums'.

I only ever use the MP3 player while I'm running since the monotony of a treadmill (I'm a fair-weather runner) can be hard to overcome.

Now, when my legs are beating out a metronomic rhythm over the course of an hour, they are accompanied by staccato drumming and the unceasing drone and adrenaline inspiring bray of the bagpipes.  I become aware that any flagging effort on my part will undoubtedly result in William Wallace losing the Battle of Stirling and Scotland will forever after be ruled under the ruthless tyranny of the English.  (Me, influenced by Hollywood?!  Noooo!)

And then just as my run was coming to an end this morning, a lone piper, accompanied by a lone drummer, slowly swayed into Amazing Grace.  The two were seamlessly joined by the entire mass band, I became suffused with goosebumps, my feet left the solid earth and I weightlessly sprinted to the end of my run.

Bagpipes totally rock.

Comments

[Paul]

I want to see Amy's face when she decides to borrow your mp3 player one afternoon.

[Toque]

You've definately been influenced by Hollywood - we have UK government dominated by Scots (Blair, Brown, Reid, Darling, Faulkener), a UK House of Commons where Scots get to vote on English laws, and a devolved Scottish Parliament where Scots get to vote on their own legislation without any interference from English, Welsh or Northern Irish MPs.

Having lived in Scotland for five years I'm not a great fan of the pipes but they can be nice from a distance, a long distance, preferably a far-away mist-shrouded hill.