Douglas Elmslie, one of the mainstays of the legendary Muirhead & Sons Pipe Band in the 1960s, has died after a short illness. He was 68. His funeral will be held at Daldowie Crematorium, Glasgow, next Friday, January 23rd, at 9am, repeat 9am, and to which all friends and family are respectfully invited.
Douglas, or Dougie as he was better known, learned his piping in the 214th Glasgow Company of the Boys’ Brigade and studied piobaireachd with P/M Peter Bain and P/M Donald MacLeod MBE.
In his solo competing days he won all the top amateur awards available to him in the Glasgow area, and on reaching 18 joined the Muirheads band under P/M RG Hardie. The band was already on its record winning run of World Championship wins, and Dougie rode the crest of that particularly successful wave picking up three titles himself. Also in the band were his elder brother Jim, and latterly his younger brother Ronnie – and his lifelong friend Gordon Ferguson, now in Australia.
On leaving the band Dougie went overseas for many years with the Merchant Navy before returning home and settling down with his wife Josephine and a career in the press rooms of DC Thomson and George Outram newspaper publishers. Keen to keep playing, Dougie joined the Kilsyth Thistle Pipe Band and then the non-competing Renfrew band. He also did many corporate and social functions in and around his home town of Kirkintilloch.
Dougie Elmslie was one of the most genial, welcoming individuals it was ever my good fortune to meet. Never without a smile, even during his days of painful, discomfiting illness, Dougie was an example to us all in how to deal with adversity. Sincere condolences to Josephine and family. Funeral details to follow. If anyone has any personal memories or messages they would like to add to the above please pass on.
Robert Wallace
The following tributes have been added from the Piping Press Facebook page:
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Norman Mcdonald Rab, A big shock about Dougie’s death. As you wrote Dougie was a very good player. I remember taking the Piper’s Badge at the Boys Brigade where we had to play an MSR. As an indication of Dougie’s ability he played the 1st part of the March and the judge indicated to him to stop playing and then awarded the Badge to Dougie. NorrieGordon Craig Dougie played in the Clan MacRae with his brother Jim and Gordon Ferguson prior to them all going to the MuirheadsAlan McColl Yes sad news a stalwart of the 214 and always tried to get to the annual reunions. Norman you may recognise a few faces on the 214 website if you haven’t seen it already check out