Echoes from the Mist: Music in Roman-Era and Early Historic Scotland

The Roman occupation of southern Britain (43–410 CE) never fully extended into the far north, yet the cultural frontier between the Empire and the free Caledonians (later known as Picts) produced a fascinating musical dialogue. Archaeological and iconographic evidence, though sparse, reveals a rich sound-world of war-horns, early stringed instruments, and ritual performance that persisted long after the legions departed.

The Carnyx – Thunder on the Battlefield and in Ritual

The most iconic instrument of Iron-Age and Roman-period Scotland is unquestionably the carnyx. This towering bronze war-trumpet, often terminating in an animal head (usually a boar), stood over 1.5 metres tall and emitted a deafening, rasping roar. The only substantially complete bell to survive in Scotland is the famous Deskford carnyx head (c. 80–250 CE), discovered in Banffshire and now in the National Museum of Scotland. Far from being purely martial, recent scholarship emphasises its broader symbolic and ceremonial role. John Purser (2014) notes that the carnyx appears in contexts suggestive of healing rituals and mythological significance, not merely intimidation of Roman troops.

Early Stringed Instruments in Caledonia

Contrary to earlier assumptions that bowed or plucked chordophones arrived only with the Vikings or Normans, archaeological evidence now confirms the presence of sophisticated stringed instruments in Scotland during the Roman era. A remarkable antler wrest-plank (the tuning mechanism of a lyre or early harp) was recovered from the broch of Dùn an Fheurain, Argyll, and is dated to around 100 CE. This high-status find indicates that elite households in western Scotland already possessed complex plucked instruments at the very time Roman legions were garrisoning the Antonine Wall.

Pipes, Horns, and the Sound of Conflict

Classical authors frequently mention the terrifying noise made by “barbarian” forces north of the frontier. Cassius Dio records that Caledonian warriors attached small bells to their spear-butts, adding metallic clashing to the din of battle. While bagpipes as we know them are later, double- and triple-reed pipes almost certainly existed; later Pictish stones (8th–9th century) show triple pipes whose designs are believed to copy much earlier prototypes.

Continuity into the Pictish and Early Christian Period

When the Roman legions withdrew around 410 CE, native musical traditions did not vanish. Early Christian carved stones from Pictland and the Gaelic west provide our clearest visual record:

• Triangular harps (precursors of the medieval clàrsach) appear on the Dupplin Cross, Nigg, and other monuments.
• Triple pipes, possible barrel drums, and cymbals are depicted on stones such as Nigg and Lethendy.
• Animal-headed horns on Sueno’s Stone and other monuments preserve the visual memory of the carnyx centuries after its actual use had ceased.

Scholars such as Adrienne Buckley (1991) and Lloyd and Jennifer Laing (1985) interpret these images as evidence of a continuous tradition of professional musicians—bards and harpers—who maintained high social status in both pagan and Christian societies.

Conclusion

The music of Roman-era Scotland was never silent. From the earth-shaking voice of the Deskford carnyx to the delicate plucking of antler-tuned strings in an Argyll broch, the Caledonians created a powerful acoustic identity that both defied and, in subtle ways, absorbed Roman influence. When we hear modern reconstructions of the carnyx today, or see the harp carved on an ancient Pictish stone, we are listening to echoes that have travelled more than two millennia—from the free hills of the Gàidhealtachd to the present day.

Selected sources incorporated in this post

• Purser, J. (2014). The Significance of Music in the Gàidhealtachd in the Pre-and Early-Historic Period
• Black, M. (2022). Bardic echoes: reconstructing ancient Celtic music
• Collinson, F. (2021). The Bagpipe: The history of a musical instrument
• Buckley, A. (1991). Music-related imagery on early Christian insular sculpture
• Laing, L. & J. (1985). Archaeological notes on some Scottish early Christian sculptures
• Vendries, C. (2019). Conquest, Political Space and Sound in Antiquity

These ancient sounds continue to resonate. The next time you hear the skirl of pipes or the strum of a clàrsach, remember: some part of that music began on a windswept Caledonian hillfort two thousand years ago, defying the might of Rome.