It is also possible that bagpipes in Scotland predated the Roman occupation. The earliest known Scottish example of bagpipes is a sculptured Roman stone of about 50 A.D. found in 1870 near Bo ness, Scotland, clearly showing a piper leading a party of Roman soldiers. Enjoyed for many centuries, the disaster at Culloden in 1746 nearly spelled ruin for the pipes as well as for the tartan and anything else that smacked of Scotland. The Disarming Act was removed in 1782 and an enthusiasm for all things Scottish appeared, first modestly, then boldly under the support of a renovated society. Highland piping competitions stirred up fraternities and the later official use of the pipes in the British army from the early 1800s on, certainly established the Highland pipes.
Bagpipes exist over much of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
They are known by different names and may have a slightly different construction to the Scottish bagpipe. But in all essentials they are still bagpipes with a mouthpiece, a bag to hold air, a chanter to make the musical notes, and a drone or drones to add to the sound. Virtually every country in the world has pipe bands.