Skye lyre bridge replica - prehistoric Iron Age musical instrument making demonstration
Channel: Simon Chadwick
Date: 2012-11-14

In this little film I am making a copy of the Iron Age lyre bridge dug up by archaeologists at Uamh an Ard Achaidh (High Pasture Cave) on the Isle of Skye. Said to be the oldest stringed instrument from Western Europe, at 2500 years old, the prehistoric bridge is a lovely sculptural piece of wood. 

This bridge was made by me and installed on a lyre with strings of iron, latten brass, and sterling silver, for a customer in Canada. For more information about my Student lyres and my copies of the Uamh an Ard Achadh lyre bridge, please visit http://www.earlygaelicharp.info/emporium/lyres/