Whether the fiddle is in the hands of the notorious Highland freebooter MacPherson or being played by a young man learning a fairy tune, these tales reflect a traditional culture that is still thriving. Some of the stories are truly ancient while others are quite modern, but all show that throughout Scotland there has long been a ready audience for music made by horsehair on catgut. Today as Scottish culture continues to thrive in the face of all the modern world can throw at it we should perhaps think on what Robert Burns once said to a friend, 'Lang may yer elbuck, jink an diddle.'

In addition to introducing some of the most famous, as well as some of the lesser-known, tales of the Scottish fiddle, Stuart McHardy also examines the history of the instrument, its repertoire and the place the fiddle and the fiddler have played in Scottish culture over the centuries. The result is a lively and informative companion to one of the central elements of the Scottish musical tradition.

Stuart McHardy is a writer, storyteller and lecturer. His interest in Scotland's past has led him to re-evaluate the role of the oral tradition in gaining a clearer picture of our history. He believes that while history is written by winners, story flourishes amongst history's survivors. He was Director of the Scots Language Resource Centre from 1993 to 1998 and is a founder member and past president of the Pictish Arts Society. An experienced broadcaster Stuart McHardy has long been interested in Scotland's musical traditions, playing music professionally since his teens. He lives in Edinburgh.