A celebration of a legendary Scots piper

I Piped, That She Might Dance follows the story of Angus MacKay of Raasay, a legendary piper and extraordinary exponent of Scottish music.

In fact, he may have been one of the most significant Highland pipers in history, having published a collection of music that was used as the foundation for the Piobaireachd Society’s Collection.

Here, in a fictionalised but painstakingly researched account, MacDonald imagines what MacKay’s life may have looked like from his birth in 1812 to his death in 1859.

Beginning on the Isle of Raasay, MacDonald details the pipers’ rise through the ranks to when he was appointed first Piper to the Sovereign by Queen Victoria in 1843 – which, as it turns out, did not lead to the high life that you may expect.

This is a remarkable portrayal of a man whose talent left an indelible mark on Highland history and the piping world.

I Piped, That She Might Dance, by Iain MacDonald, published by Blackwater Press, £14.99.

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