This volume reflects different styles from West Highland marches and Gaelic song airs to Shetland reels. Over 160 tunes are presented and include slow airs and pastorals, pipe marches, strathspeys, reels, hornpipes, schottisches, jigs, polkas and waltzes. There are compositions by celebrated fiddler/composers and other musicians as well as new and previously unpublished tunes together with well-loved traditional melodies.

The extensive narratives and anecdotes provide a fascinating insight into the rich inheritance of and traditions of the contrasting culture of these areas. Famous local characters and well-known landmarks, history, legends, and traditions, language and dialect, poetry and song are all represented in this stimulating account. No attempt has been made to translate literally the Gaelic songs but rather to try to tell their story with empathy and understanding.