Highland Band

[Ochoin]

No, not the Corries but a unit of un-regimented Highlanders who will fight alongside my Covenanters.

I’ve just received an order of figures from Tumbling Dice & I have a question or two before the bottles of tartan paint come out.

The figures are properly dressed in the Feileadh Mòr (apart from the Laird who is in Truibhas). Now, I know that strict clan tartans at this time are unlikely but I do think district plaids were a distinct possibility. Thus, I think I’ll mix & match 3-4 plaids amongst the figures as any unit would surely be recruited from a single area or perhaps two?

Comment?

I’m fairly conversant with bagpipes as my father played as does my brother & I grew up with the skirl (does this qualify as child abuse?). The piper figures interestingly have only two drones of equal length. I’ve done some searching but can’t find anything. I’m fairly confident about Paul of TD so is this accurate?



donald

[Graeme]

Regional tartans certainly, and it should be remembered that the clans were closely associated with particular reagons.

Another consideration is that in a clan regiment the Clan Chief would stand with his sons and his brothers and his uncles and cousins. Each man in the regiment would also be standing with his close relatives; so I think it's likely there would have been knots of men wearing tartans that came off the same loom. I think 3 or 4 setts per unit is perfectly appropriate.

While on the subject of tartans, when the race was on to 'create' the modern clan tartans Wilsons sent out researchers to collect setts popular in the various clan regions. Also the Highland Society asked the Clan Chiefs to register thier tartans; some of the Chiefs consulted local weavers about the traditional setts used on thier lands. Which means, I think, that not all of the modern Clan Tartans are as fanciful as some earnest people would have us believe; there could be many that do have traditional links with particular Clan lands. On the other hand there are also many that are complete fabrications.

Two drone pipes? Absolutely fine.

The pipes my Great, Great, Great,Great, Grandfather played at Culloden (curently on display at Blair Castle) are a small set with two unequal drones. there are also contemporary drawings of pipers with 2 drone pipes. At the time of Culloden two drone pipes would have been fairly archaic but in earlier times, such as the Civil War, 2 drone pipes would have been more prevalent. Not so sure about the equal length drones though, I would have thought unequal drones to produce different tones would make more sense but I'll let you know if I find any.

[Ochoin]

Graeme,
thank you for your erudite reply.

Most useful & I think we're in total agreement about tartans.

I will start on the 'kilties' tonight.

donald


(an ancestor at Culloden? Impressive. I suspect some of my lot would have been lined up with the Sassenachs or ignoring the whole, unhappy mess back on Lewis).