A Highland Gentleman

FROM AM BAILE:

In the aftermath of the last Jacobite Rebellion a series of Acts of Parliament launched an assault on the culture of Gaeldom including the proscription of Highland dress and the playing of pipes.

The form of Highland dress has always owed much to the army and it was the Highland regiments which kept the kilt and the tartan alive until, in 1782, their use was once more permitted. Before that time, Scots were only permitted to wear any 'tartanry', if they joined the British Armed Services. Pipers were permitted to wear their kilt, but usually in a Regimental color.

The kilt itself in its original form was a very basic garment which required neither tailoring nor the frequent replacement which a pair of breeches needed. The tartan cloth forming a piece of material some two metres in width by four or five metres in length. This was known variously as the Breacan, the Feileadh Bhreacain and the Feileadh Mor - the big kilt, usually referrred to in English as the belted plaid.

The belted plaid had many advantages in the Highland climate and terrain. It allowed freedom of movement, it was warm, the upper half could provide a voluminous cloak against the weather, it dried out quickly and with much less discomfort than trousers and, if required, it could, by undoing the belt, provide a very adequate overnight blanket. The tightly woven wool proved almost completely waterproof, something the lose woven wool of today is not. When complete freedom of action was required in battle it was easily discarded, and one famous Highland clan battle, that between the Frasers the MacDonalds and Camerons in 1544, is known as Blar-na-Leine, which can be translated as 'Field of the Shirts'.

The bagpipes are thought to have been used in ancient Egypt. The origins of the pipes in Scotland is unclear. It had been suggested that they were a Roman import. Others have claimed that the instrument came from Ireland as a result of colonisation. The original pipes in Scotland had only a single drone. The second drone was added in the mid to late 1500s. The third drone, or the 'great drone', came into use early in the 1700s.

Beginning with Iain Odhar, who lived in the mid-16th century, the MacCrimmon family was responsible for elevating Highland pipe music to new heights. This music is called piobaireachd (pronounced piobroch).

Clan pipers' titles were mostly hereditary and held in much esteem. The best known were the MacCrimmons, pipers to MacLeod of Dunvegan; the MacAuthurs, pipers to MacDonald of the Isles; the MacKays, pipers to the MacKenzie; the Rankins, pipers to MacLean of Duart
As dèidh Ar-a-mach mu dheireadh nan Seumasach thug sreath de dh' Achdan Pàrlamaid ionnsaigh air dualchas na Gàidhealtachd le toirmeasg an èididh Ghàidhealaich agus cluiche na pìoba.

Tha an deise Ghàidhealach riamh air a bhith gu mòr an comain an airm agus b' iad na rèisimeidean Gàidhealach a chum am fèileadh agus am breacan beò gu 1782, nuair a chaidh an ceadachadh a-rithist. Ron àm sin chan fhaodadh Albannaich breacan sam bith a chur orra ach a-mhàin nam biodh iad ann an seirbheis Arm Bhreatainn. Dh'fhaodadh pìobairean am fèileadh a chur orra, ach mar bu trice b' ann an dath na rèisimeid.

Na chruth tùsail, b'e bad-aodaich gu math sìmplidh a bha san fhèileadh, nach fheumadh tàillearachd no càradh, mar a dh'fheumadh briogais. Bha breacan na phìos aodaich de dhà meatair de leud agus de cheithir no còig meatairean de dh'fhaid. Bha seo air ainmeachadh mar Breacan, am Fèileadh Breacain agus am Fèileadh Mòr. Bha am Fèileadh Mòr no am 'Big Kilt' sa Bheurla mar bu trice a' ciallachadh plaide le crios air. Bha mòran bhuannachdan sa phlaide-chrios ann an aimsir agus talamh na Gàidhealtachd. Bha e furasta gluasad leis, bha e blàth, dh'fhaodadh am pìos àrd dheth a bhith na chleoca mòr dìonach an aghaidh na sìde, thioramaicheadh e gu luath agus le fada na bu lugha de mhì-chomhfhartachd na briogais agus, nam feumaist, le bhith a' toirt dheth a' chrios, dhèanadh e deagh phlaide oidhche. Bha an clò a bh' air a dhlùth-fhighe cha mhòr gu tur dìonach air uisge, rud nas eil clò an latha an-diugh a th' air fhighe nas fharsainge. Nuair a bhiodh feum air mòr-shaorsa gluasaid, bha e furasta a chur dhiot agus tha aon bhlàr cinnidh ainmeil ann, eadar na Frisealaich, na Dòmhnallaich agus na Camshronaich ann an 1544 air ainmeachadh mar 'Blàr na Lèine'.

Thathar an dùil gun robhar a' cluiche na pìoba san t-seann Eiphit. Chan eil eachdraidh na pìoba an Alba idir soilleir. Tha feadhainn dhen bheachd gun tàinig iad a-steach ri linn nan Ròmanach. Tha cuid eile ag ràdh gun tàinig iad à Eirinn ri linn eilthireachd. Cha robh aig a'chiad phìoban ann an Alba ach aon dos. Chaidh an dàrna dos a chur riutha ann am meadhan no deireadh nan 1500an. Thàinig an treas dos no an 'Dos Mòr' tràth sna 1700an.

A' toiseachadh le Iain Odhar, a bha beò am meadhan an t-16mh linn, bha teaghlach MhicCruimein nam meadhan air àrdachadh cliù na pìoba. 'S e pìobaireachd a th' air a' cheòl seo. Bha tiotalan phìobairean nan cinnidhean, mar bu trice, dualach agus bhathar a' toirt mòran spèis dhaibh. B' iad Clann MhicCruimein a b'ainmeile, 's bha iadsan nam pìobairean do MhacLeòid Dhùn Bheagain; bha Clann MhicArtair nam pìobairean do MhacDhòmhnaill nan Eilean; bha Clann MhicCaoidh nam pìobairean do Chlann MhicChoinnich; bha Clann MhicFhraing nam pìobairean do MhacGilleathain Dhubhairt