Stack of wood sections for the Great Highland Bagpipe, 1951

Stack of African blackwood sections for the Great Highland Bagpipe, Glasgow, 1951.

Stack of rough cut 'billets' or African blackwood sections for the separate parts of the Great Highland Bagpipe, photographed in 1951 for Scotland Magazine at the works of Peter Henderson, Renfrew Street, Glasgow. The 'billets' have been cut and bored in the first stage of manufacture and the ends have been waxed to avoid uneven drying out and shrinkage. The firm of Peter Henderson had a high reputation as bagpipe makers and the quality of their product is still recognised a century after the death of the founder.

Peter Henderson (1851-1903) came from Inverkeithing though his family was originally from Latheronwheel in Caithness. He took over the bagpipe-making shop in Glasgow of Robert MacKinnon who had earlier taken over the premises of Donald Macphee. Henderson had set up business in 1868, was himself a very good piper and became Pipe Major of the Glasgow Volunteers. His bagpipes have always had a very high reputation.

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