When the plane first broke below the cloud line, I was astonished by Scotland’s beauty. It was an emerald green puzzle of lush landscape in a thousand irregular squares. At the heart of Scotland’s surreal landscape were rolling green hills. Sheep, ponies, and small villages dotted the view like patches of wildflowers. I landed in Glasgow on a misty Wednesday morning. The entire town has a fascinating mix of old stone infrastructure and modern new conveniences.

By ones and twos, the pipers of Tryst stepped out as they played their pipes, walking up an almost deserted Buchanan Street in Glasgow city centre to enter the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

They  were playing In Praise of the Pioneers, a well-chosen selection.