Page "Border pipes" Paragraph 12

The book contains forty tunes, almost all with extensive variation sets.

Some of these are limited to a single octave, and many of this group correspond closely to tunes for Northumbrian smallpipes known from early 19th century sources-Apprentice Lads of Alnwick is one of these ; others are melodically and harmonically richer-using the full nine-note compass and the G major subtonic chord-a fine example of this group is Dorrington.

Another very early, though limited, source is George Skene's manuscript fiddle book of 1715, from Aberdeenshire.

Besides settings for fiddle, some playable on the pipes, it contains four pieces explicitly stated to be in bagpipe style, all variation sets on Lowland tunes.