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'Burgh Piper'

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attributed to Sir William Allan, early 19th century

'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.

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