There are some songs that every Scot knows (“Da Da Da, Dun Diddle Un Diddle Un Diddle Uh Da Da”, need we say more?) However, there are many talented artists scattered around Scotland that are lesser-known to the wider music-loving community.
For tourists visiting our capital, being greeted by the bagpipers’ moving Scottish melodies is one of the Edinburgh attractions that makes the trip so memorable. For local Scots who are well-acquainted with bagpipes, cities famous for their music scenes like Glasgow may be of greater interest as the talent pool is even more diverse meaning there’s something for everyone.
Either way, enjoying music while you’re out and about (and not just on Spotify) is a fun novelty that has the power to uplift us. So, when we asked our Scotsman readers for their favourite ‘little-known musicians’ of Scotland, we were delighted to receive a treasure trove of responses; some more abundant than others, looking at you Andy.
Here are 18 of those responses for the “best buskers” in Scotland. Disclaimer: many artists who busk are not limited to street performance alone, be sure to check out any names you’re interested in and see what else they’ve been up to.
17. Billy Connolly
The Big Yin hit 80 years of age last year, boasting a career that spans TV, movies, music, theatre and much more. Local pub performances, however, are a lesser known aspect of his work. Connolly is also a talented banjo player who was in the band The Humblebums (based in Glasgow) which was founded in 1965. Photo: YouTube Screenshot via Billy Connolly
18. Royal Mile Bagpipers (Special Mention)
A common response from our readers was the Edinburgh bagpipers on the Royal Mile. Of course, this spans a lot of different musicians and so this mention is our way of paying homage to all the talented pipers keeping the musical heritage alive in central Edinburgh. Photo: MrChris89 and Karen282 on Canva Pro