Timbre

• Highland bagpipes are composed of a bag, drones and a chanter for fingering individual notes.Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
  
  Bagpipes have a highly recognizable sound, or timbre. This reedy, nasal tone appeals to some people and not to others. People who like the bagpipes may think this sound is beautiful, powerful or haunting. They may find the instrument to be innately joyful or innately sad. Although the instrument itself is not especially versatile, its sound strikes different people in different ways. Whatever emotion it evokes, a person must like this timbre in order to like the bagpipes.
  
  

Songs

• Bagpipe music is often about longing or loss.Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
  
  Bagpipes are generally used to play Scottish and Irish songs, so people who like the bagpipes tend to like Celtic music. People are drawn to this repertoire for its ability to evoke deep emotion, both happiness and sorrow. The bagpipes' drones, contrasted with the elaborate ornamental internote sequences played on the chanter, capture the sense of longing in Scottish music particularly well. Due to the fact that the air in the bag feeds evenly through the chanter and drones, bagpipes can register little change in intonation and volume, This steadfast tone makes it well suited to songs that express steady, unflagging emotions such as desire for something lost or loyalty to a cause, two themes common in Scottish and Irish music.
  
  

History

• In the 1700s, bagpipes were legally considered to be weapons of war.Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  People who are interested in the history or mythology of Scotland may like the bagpipes because of their use as a military instrument by Scottish Highlanders during the Jacobite uprisings in the 18th century. After Bonnie Prince Charlie's forces were defeated by the English in 1745, the Scots were forbidden to play the bagpipes or to wear kilts. These were considered signs of Scottish nationalism and were outlawed. People with an interest in this period of Scottish history may like the bagpipes for reasons having nothing to do with music.
  
  

Culture

• People see bagpipes as representing traditional Scottish culture.Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  On a related note, the bagpipes are widely identified with Scotland and therefore may be appealing to people of Scottish ancestry. People who don't have Scottish blood but nonetheless feel an affinity for Celtic culture may also be drawn to them. Bagpipes are found all over the world, but the most famous kind is the Highland bagpipe, which was used in ceremonies and on the battlefield in the Scottish Highlands for generations. Because of their cultural importance in Scotland, people who feel connected to Scottish culture often like the bagpipes.