
We are grateful to piping historian Jeannie Campbell MBE for forwarding this information following last week’s article on Donald Cameron’s powder horn….
A piping competition was held on 4th October 1839 in a Pavilion at the Great Agricultural Meeting, Academy Park, Inverness, in aid of funds of the Northern Infirmary. The prizes were:
1 ‘A Handsome Bagpipe’ made by Macdonald [Donald] of Edinburgh, to Angus MacKay, piper to WF Campbell Esq of Islay, MP.
2 ‘A Highland Dirk, elegantly mounted’, to John MacBeth.
3 ‘A Silver-Mounted Powder Horn’, to Donald Cameron, piper to Sir James MacKenzie of Scatwell, Bart.

This was the powder horn given by a relative of Donald Cameron to Donald MacLeod in the 1960s, who then composed a jig for it.
[Would anyone have information on the occasion of the handover? Memory suggests it had something to do with Donald’s retiral from the Army and the esteem in which he was held at Fort George. RW]
Our suggestion that there was more than one Donald Cameron Powder Horn is confirmed by this further information from Jeannie:
Edinburgh Highland Society’s Annual Gathering was held in Bonnington Park, Friday 31st July 1857. [We believe this may have since been renamed Pilrig Park, situated near the Water of Leith, but this is speculation.]
The ‘Best Piobaireachd Player, receiving a magnificent set of bagpipes’, was Duncan Campbell. piper to Sir Charles Forbes of Newe.

Second prize, a ‘handsome Silver-mounted Powder Horn’, went to Donald Cameron, piper to RWS Mackenzie of Seaforth. [This is the powder horn pictured.]
Third was Alexander Cameron, piper to Neil Malcolm, Poltalloch. No indication of his reward.

Marches: 1 ‘Handsome Silver-mounted Pipe Chanter’, John Gray, piper to JF Gordon of Nethermuir 2 Donald McInnes, Glasgow.
Strathspeys and Reels: 1 ‘Handsome Silver-mounted Dirk’, Duncan Campbell 2 ‘Handsome Silver Brooch’, John Gray 3 ‘Handsome Silver-mounted Sgian Dubh’, Donald McInnes, late piper to E Baillie, Esq.
Best Amateur Player of Marching or Dancing Music: 1 ‘Handsome Silver Medal’, Thomas McPherson, Tranent 2 ‘Highland Bonnet and Badge’, Robert Rutherford, Lasswade.