What's on in the area

World Pipe Band Championships

Aug 2010 (annual)

Hours: 7.30am-7pm

The world's biggest bagpipe event is held in the centre of Glasgow, bringing together traditional pipe bands from around the world. Drummers and dancers also compete.

The influence of the Celtic sound is so widespread that there are said to be more pipe bands in New York than in the whole of Scotland. Other unlikely piping nations include Oman, whose pipers apparently play on camel-back. Regardless of nationality, pipe bands all follow the same traditions and the best of the bunch compete here in categories ranging from children's to professional.

Costumes for the Highland Dancing consist of what is commonly referred to as Highland Dress. The men wear kilts, a sporran, calf-length socks, a black jacket made of barathea cloth and ghillie brogues (a kind of lace-up shoe worn by a ghillie, or gamekeeper). The women also wear kilts of their clan (Mackenzie, Fraser or whichever), dancing pumps and blouses.

Glasgow Green