Category: History

BC Pipers Tune and Memories of Captain John MacLellan MBE

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Rob MacNeill, President of the British Columbia Pipers’ Association, has sent this: ‘April 20, 2017 marks the 30th Anniversary of the tune for the British Columbia Pipers’ Association. ‘In the lead up to the 1987 Annual Gathering, Captain John MacLellan [pictured top], who was adjudicating that year’s Annual Gathering with Robert Wallace, recommended that a tune composition competition be held for a tune to be named for the British Columbia…

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Macdougall of Aberfeldy and that Feature of 1893 Part 2

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We continue with our feature on Macdougall of Aberfeldy and the feature which appeared in the People’s Journal newspaper of November 4, 1893. It is by their ‘Lady Correspondent’ and is headlined ‘An Interview with the Queen’s Bagpipe-Maker’. This is a period piece of writing and the author is clearly no piper. Would that we could get our hands on some of the sets mentioned. There is relevant information on the ivory…

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Bagpipemakers: An Interview with MacDougall of Aberfeldy

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The following is taken from the People’s Journal newspaper of November 4, 1893. It is by their ‘Lady Correspondent’ and is headlined ‘An Interview with the Queen’s Bagpipe-Maker’. The subject of the article is Duncan Macdougall, Aberfeldy, renowned pipe maker. The article will be of interest to all those who study or collect or indeed manufacture pipes. It is written in the flowery style of the late Victorian times but that…

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History: St Fillans Games and Grumbling Pipers From 1821

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Nothing Seems to Have Changed by Piping Historian, Keith Sanger The following extract is from a long letter reporting on the St Fillans Highland Games of 1821 which I came across last week and am still transcribing. The part quoted concerns the piping competition and needs little comment other than that nearly 200 years later, little seems to have changed regarding dissatisfaction with competition results. The letter comes from the…

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PP Ed’s Blog: Shotts 1952/ SPA Pro/ Kintyre Solos/ P Lodge/ Lisnamulligan/ Dunedin Pic

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The National Museums of Scotland film archive have put out some new silent shots of Shotts Highland Games from September 6, 1952. Mostly of smiling faces in the crowd, there are one or two clips of bands. The one up top shows, I think, P/M Tom McAllister Senior leading the Shotts band. Is that JK McAllister right behind him? The other band shown on parade and very smart in their balmorals…

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