Scene Around

Sue with her MBE/

Famous pipers: Sue MacIntyre

Sue MacIntyre was born in Inverness in 1929 as Farquhar McIntosh. Her mother, who was a ward sister in the town’s Craig Dunain hospital, died before her fourth birthday so Sue was sent to a children’s home in Aberlour. Some time later she returned to Inverness to live with her […]

CLASP profile: Aaron Malcomb

CLASP profile: Aaron Malcomb

• Where are you from and how did you get into piping?I am from the United States, living in Washington state for the last 17 years. I got into piping as a teenager after listening to Scottish folk bands like The Tannahill Weavers and Capercaillie and got a practice chanter […]

CLASP profile: Joe Moore

CLASP profile: Joe Moore

Joe Moore is the next member of CLASP to be profiled. For more information and to join this great facility for amateur pipers go to the CLASP website. • Where are you from and how did you get into piping?I’m from Paddington in London originally but currently living in Wilmcote […]

CLASP profile: David Mackenzie

CLASP profile: David Mackenzie

Today, we feature another member of CLASP. David Mackenzie is next for shaving, as the late Pipe Major Robert Kilgour, would have put it. Where are you from and how did you get into piping?I am from Invergordon in the north of Scotland. My father was a piper in the […]

Memoirs of Archie MacNeill, part 5

Memoirs of Archie MacNeill, part 5

Some years later the Scottish Pipers and Dancers Association formed and I was put forward as one of the committee. Also included were Pipe Major John MacKenzie (Big John), James Mclvor, Pipe Major George Ross and others. I forget the names of the dancers who were also on the committee […]

Famous pipers: John D. Burgess

Famous pipers: John D. Burgess

John Davie Burgess died in July 2005, having achieved worldwide fame as a child prodigy on the pipes before maturing into one of the foremost exponents of Scotland’s national instrument. He was born in Aberdeen on March 11, 1934 but the family moved to Edinburgh when at a young age. […]

CLASP profile: David Richardson

CLASP profile: David Richardson

• Where are you from and how did you get into piping?I am from Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. I got into piping through my local pipe band, of which my uncle was the Pipe Major. I started to take lessons at Selkirk High School when I was 15. However, […]

Memoirs of Archie MacNeill, part 4

Memoirs of Archie MacNeill, part 4

At the pipers’ pub in the Townhead, all these pipers – Danny A. Campbell of Glendale [Skye], Willie Robb, Michael MacNeill – and others would take turn about to play on the practice chanter. By this time, MacDougall Gillies, who was the manager in Peter Henderson’s shop, had agreed to […]

Memoirs of Archie MacNeill, part 3

Memoirs of Archie MacNeill, part 3

After the war in South Africa, Murdoch MacDonald returned to the castle [Ardencaple Castle] and he was supplied with a new set of Henderson pipes. He was always fussy about his pipe chanter reed and never seemed to get one to please him. One night he told me he would […]