'Burgh Piper'

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'Burgh Piper' attributed to Sir William Allan (1782 - 1850), oil on board, early 19th century. William Allan was an Edinburgh artist whose paintings included subjects drawn from Sir Walter Scott's novels. The piper's coat may be a livery provided by the Burgh Council and the 'button' in his bonnet may be a badge of his office. He is playing a set of Lowland bellows pipes.

The Lowland pipes, or Border bagpipe, was a distinctive instrument by the 18th century. It has a chanter and three drones - two tenors and a bass - and sounded and tuned as the Great Highland bagpipe but would generally not have produced such a strident and carrying sound.

A distinguishing characteristic was the mounting of the three drones in a common stock, and the use of bellows strapped under the arm to provide a supply of air. Such a bagpipe would sometimes be described as a 'cauld wind pipe', in contrast to the mouth-blown bagpipe in which the player's breath was hot and lurid. The lowland pipes were the instrument favoured by the Town or Burgh Piper of Lowland Scotland.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-000-579-755-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: The Bagpipe Collection
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  H.OD 147
• Date: Early 19th century (date painted)
  
• Material: Oil paint and board
  Painting
  
• Dimensions:
• What: Painting
  
• Subject:
• Who: Sir William Allan (artist)
  The Museum of Piping, Glasgow (place of display)
  
• Where: Scotland, Edinburgh (place created)
  
• Event:
• Description: Painting of the 'Burgh Piper' created with oil paints on board.
  
• References:
  • Baines, Anthony,. Bagpipes. Occasional Paper on Technology 9, Oxford University Press, 1973. 
• Translations:
• Related Records: