The Piping Encyclopaedia

A-Z OF PIPERS ‘Mc’ page 3

Mac DONALD, Dr Angus
One of three Glenuig MacDonald piping brothers.
As a boy piper at Queen Victoria School, Dunblane he studied under Pipe Major John M MacKenzie.
A doctor, he has practiced in Cape Breton and since 1993 in Skye where he became very involved with the Donald MacDonald Quaich and the John MacFadyen Memorial Piping Trust.

MacDONALD,Archie
From Inveraray.
Placed third at Edinburgh in 1786 when he was listed as ‘late piper 78th’.
His tune was ‘Glengarry’s March’

MacDONALD, Charles
Pipe Major of the Black Watch.
Prominent prize winning piper.

MacDONALD, Donald
Piper in the 79th Highlanders in 1793.

MacDONALD, Donald
Originally from Skye.
Became famous as a pipe maker and as piping’s first major publisher of music.
Piper to the Caithness Highlanders in 1801 when he won 3rd prize in the Edinburgh Prize Pipe.
In 1811 he won second place at Edinburgh by which time he was pipe major of the newly raised Argyll Militia when (they had been mobilized because of the French Wars and were garrisoned near Edinburgh).
He had spent some time living in Campbeltown and in fact his daughter Margaret, in 1816, married one of the McCallums.
In 1806 Sir J. Sinclair,“by desire of the Committee, called Donald MacDonald, and informed him, that a prize had been voted to him by the judges, for producing the greatest number of Pipe-tunes, set to music by himself; and it was recommended to him, to continue his exertions in that way, and to instruct such others as might apply to him to be taught”.
In 1817 he won the Prize Pipe.
His sons Donald and James (both see) were both prize winning pipers

MacDONALD, Donald
(son of Donald MacDonald above)
Competed a number of times in the Edinburgh Prize Pipe: 1818 u/p; 1821 5th prize; 1822 “from Skye” u/p; 1823 4th; 1824 3rd; 1826 2nd prize “to Donald MacDonald, Piper 72d, Highlanders”

MacDONALD, Donald
Pipe Major of the Seaforth Highlanders from 1825 until 1828.

MacDONALD, Donald
Pipe Major of the 4th Battalion Queens Own Cameron Highlanders in 1940.

MacDONALD, Donald John
Known as ‘Am Piobaire Frangach’.
Pipe Major of the Seaforth Highlanders from 1854 until 1856.

MacDONALD, Donald S
From Inverness.
Won third prize in the Prize Pipe at the Northern Meeting in 1871 when he was piper to MacPherson of Glentruim.

MacDONALD, Duncan
Born at Balmacaan, Glentruim.
He became Piper to The MacKintosh.
Second in the Strathspey & Marches at the Northern Meeting in 1871.
Also gave some tuition to his famous nephew John (see) who became one of the most famous pipers in history.
Wrote ‘The Braes of Castle Grant’
Major Prizes
The Northern Meeting
Strathspeys & Marches 1871 (3rd)
March 1893 (3rd)
Strathspey & Reel 1893 (3rd), 1896 (3rd)

MacDONALD, George
Piper to Farquharson of Invercauld.
Won the Prize Pipe at the Northern Meeting in 1876 and was second in the Strathspey & Marches in 1878.

MacDONALD, George (South Morar)
Won the Piobaireachd Champions Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting in 1887.

MacDONALD, George D
Pipe Major of the 8th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders from 1931 until 1935.

MacDONALD, Hugh
Piper in the 79th Highlanders in 1793.

MacDONALD, Iain (Born 1956)
Canadian.
Began piping at age of nine and then from 1978 until 1981 lived in Scotland, where he studied under Donald MacLeod.
In that time he played in the Grade 1 Renfrew Pipe Band.
From 1985 until 1991 played with the champion Grade 1 band Simon Fraser University.
In 1992 he founded the Grade 2 City of Regina Pipe Band.

MacDONALD, Iain
The third of the three Glenuig MacDonald piping brothers (see Dr Angus and Allan) and like his brothers also was a student of Pipe Major John M MacKenzie while a pupil at Queen Victoria School, Dunblane.
Later taught by Duncan Johnstone and Roderick MacDonald, South Uist.
More noted as a musician with first Fir Chlis and then Ossian, Battlefield Band, Wolfstone and Tosg.
Currently musician in residence at Sabhal Mor Ostaig.

MacDONALD, James
Son of Donald MacDonald the pipe maker and publisher (see).
Competed at Edinburgh: 1820 5th; 1821 u/p; 1822 u/p; 1826 3rd.

MacDONALD, James
The ‘Silver King’.
Joined the 1st Seaforths as a boy piper, becoming pipe major in 1879 during the battle of Lucknow.
Also fought at Tel El Kebir, piping his battalion into the charge.
Appointed Pipe Major of the Seaforth Highlanders from 1880 until 1888, having enlisted with them as a boy piper.
In 1884 he won 3rd prize in the Piobaireachd at the Northern Meeting.

MacDONALD, John
Piper in the pro-Hanoverian Inverness Militia Company during the ‘45.

MacDONALD, John 1755-
Born in Craignish.
He was a teacher by profession but in 1778 he joined the North Fencible Regiment and was made pipe major.
Later he was lured to the 78th Regiment as their piper.
His autobiography provides a superb journal of the times.
Pipe Major of the Northern Fencibles and then the 2nd Battalion 73rd Highlanders from 1779 until 1783.
Pipe Major of the 2nd Battalion 71st Highlanders when they were raised in 1783.
Wounded at the defence of Gibraltar.

MacDONALD, John
From Findynate, Strathtay.
In 1789 competed at Edinburgh gaining 2nd prize.

MacDONALD, John
Competed at Edinburgh in 1801 when he was described as “a veteran of near four-score, and who fought with the 42d at Ticanderego, &c. attracted particular attention, and received from the judges a suitable premium; he had been Piper to the Glengarry family for some generations.”
“The lady of Glengary, observed one day to John, that it was a matter of surprise he did not employ his leisure hours in doing something.
"Indeed, madam," said John, " it is a poor estate that cannot keep the Laird and the Piper without working."

MacDONALD, John
Son of Donald MacDonald, pipe-maker in Edinburgh.
Competed at Edinburgh in 1806 (3rd prize).
In 1808 he “received a premium for setting to music a collection of ancient Pipe tunes, submitted by him to the judges”.

MacDONALD, John 1812-?
Competed at Edinburgh: 1824 u/p,‘son of Duncan Macdonald, Balnacraig, Fortingall, a boy of 12 years of age’; 1825 5th,‘to John MacDonald, from Fortingall, a promising young player only thirteen years of age’; 1826 u/p ‘John Macdonald, Fortingall,
boy’; 1829 3rd, ‘a beautiful Highland purse and a sum in specie, to John MacDonald from Fortingall’:

MacDONALD, John 1821-
Competed at Edinburgh in 1835 ‘An extra prize to John MacDonald, a boy of fourteen years of age, Piper to R. MacDonald Seton, Esq. of Staffa’.

MacDONALD, John
Pipe Major of the 1st Battalion 79th Cameron Highlanders from 1840 until 1849.
Composer of ‘The 79th’s Farewell to Gibraltar’ and ‘The Dornoch Links’.

MacDONALD, John
From Tiree.
Pipe Major of the Seaforth Highlanders from 1856 until 1864.

MacDONALD, John
Won the Prize Pipe at Inverness in 1856.

MacDONALD, John
Served as a piper in the volunteer Inverness Militia, transferring to the Black Watch in 1865, later serving as pipe major (-1885).
Composed ‘The March to Coomassie’.