The Piping Encyclopaedia

MacDONALD, John
A pupil of John Ban MacKenzie.
Pipe Major 72nd Highlanders.
After leaving the army in 1865 he became pipe major of the Stirlingshire Militia and then was piper to the Marquis of Lorne when he was Governor General of Canada.

MacDONALD, John
From Nairn.
Appointed Pipe Major of the 1st Battalion Black Watch in 1874.

MacDONALD, John
Pipe Major of the 2nd Militia Battalion Cameron Highlanders from 1884 until 1887.
MacDONALD, John (1865-1953)
Born in Glentruim.
His father, Alexander (see), was piper to MacPherson of Glentruim.
His elder brother Andrew (also see) was a piper of some note.
Pipe Major of the 1st Inverness Volunteers (later the 4th Battalion Queens Own Cameron Highlanders) from 1890 until 1914 and the 2/4th until 1918.
He was the great Piobaireachd player of his generation and taught a great many pipers, many of whom became champions in their own right, including Donald MacLeod and the ‘Twa Bobs’, Bob Nicol and Bob Brown.
He received his own tuition from his father Sandy and also from his uncle, Duncan.
Later he went to Jockan MacPherson and then to the famous Calum Piobaire MacPherson after he had won the Inverness Gold Medal.
He also had instruction from Alick and Colin Cameron, George and Angus MacDonald from Morar, and Willie McLennan (cousin of the great GS) who was said to be the best March player of his generation. (see all)
John MacDonald was a prolific competitor.
In 1889 he won 4th prize in the March at Inverness.
In 1890 he won the Northern Meeting Gold Medal In 1930 the famous naturalist and Scottish journalist Seton Gordon was
mounting a campaign to have his favourite given a national honour.
The Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald, wrote back saying “… if I did do anything within reason and in artistic keeping with the man and his work I would do it with great pleasure.”
Gordon, ever the wordsmith, probably summed up John MacDonald’s magic when he wrote: “In him are combined perfect fingering, perfect timing and beautiful expression, the whole produces a rare and very lovely harmony that thrills the senses.
“It is the hallmark of genius that it should all sound so simple – the listener feels there is no reason why he should not go home and do the same thing himself.
“When John MacDonald ends his playing days, something rare and precious will be lost.”
In 1947 John MacDonald was ill and didn’t attend the Northern Meeting.
But his pupil Donald MacLeod did, and won the Gold Medal playing ‘Glengarry’s March’.
Shortly afterwards Wee Donald visited the master piper and played his triumphant tune.
MacDonald’s laconic response was, “and they gave you the Medal for that!”
At that same competition one of his other pupils, Robert Brown, took out first place in the Clasp - a double for John MacDonald.
On 8 June 1955 at the age of 87 John MacDonald passed away.
He was buried at Forres with his two favourite pupils Bob Nicol and Bob Brown playing ‘The Lament for the Children’ and ‘Lament for Patrick Og MacCrimmon’, John MacDonald’s favourite tune, at the graveside.
His pupils include Malcolm Ross MacPherson, Donald MacGillvray, John MacDonald (South Uist) and Donald MacLeod
Major Solo Prizes
Northern Meeting
Strathspey & Reel 1899 (1st)
Clasp 1903, 1908, 1924, 1927, 1929, 1933, 1934 (7)
Gold Medal 1888 (5th); 1890 (1st)
Argyllshire Gathering
Senior Piobaireachd 1903, 1904, 1905, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1924, 1927, 1929
Gold Medal 1897

MacDONALD, John 1898-
From South Uist.
As a 15-year-old he joined the 3rd Bn QOCH and studied under John MacDonald, Inverness.
In 1917 he served in France on active service with his regiment’s 6th and 7th
Battalions.
Later he moved to Glasgow and joined the Glasgow Police, playing in the pipe band under Willie Gray, whom he succeeded as pipe major.
He also rose to the rank of Inspector.
In 1926 he won the Gold Medal for Piobaireachd at both the Argyllshire Gathering and the Northern Meeting as well as the NM March and the AG Strathspey & Reel—an outstandingly successful year.

MacDONALD, John D
From Melness.
Pipe Major in the 2nd Bn Scots Guards 1921-1927.

MacDONALD, Kenneth
Piper to Lord Dunmore, in Harris, later serving as piper to Panmure Gordon of Glencalleter.
In 1887 he won 4th place in the Pioabireachd at the Northern Meeting, and in 1888 he won the Gold Medal at Oban at which time he was living in Inverness.
Shortly afterwards he moved to Glasgow and in 1888 he was also listed as piper to Panmure Gordon when he won 3rd prize in the Piobaireachd at Inverness and 4th in the March.
In 1889 he won 3rd prize in the Northern Meeting Strathspey & Reel when he was again listed as ‘from Inverness’.

MacDONALD, Murdoch
Died in Mull 1734
Described in Baptie as “the last of the Hebridean pipers”

MacDONALD, Neil Angus
From Barra although he later in Inverness where he was a headmaster.
He was also prominent in local piping and was a former President of the Inverness Piping Society.
Produced his own excellent pipe music collection.

MacDONALD, Peter
Won the Prize Pipe at the Northern Meeting in 1872.
In 1873 he was listed as ‘Corporal, 2nd Highlanders’ when he won the Strathspey & Marches.

McDONALD, Ranald
From Culloden.
In 1785, 1786 and 1790 he competed at the Prize Pipe, Edinburgh.

MacDONALD, Roderick
From Ross-shire
At Edinburgh in 1829 he won fourth prize “wholly in specie, to Roderick MacDonald, Piper to J Eneas MacDonell, Esq. of Glengary.”  
Competed again in 1832 and also entered the 1835 and 1838 Prize Pipe but not selected for the public leet.
In 1844 he was described as being from “Lochcarron” and his tune was ‘MacLeod of MacLeod’s Fairy Flag’.

McDONALD, Roddy
From South Uist.
Later lived in Glasgow where he was taught by Pipe Major Willie Gray.
He was also a member of the Glasgow Police Pipe Band and also served as as pipe major.
Gave tuition to Duncan Johnstone, Iain MacFadyen and Dr Angus MacDonald (see all) amongst many others.

MacDONALD, S
Pipe Major of the 92nd Highlanders from 1878 until 1881.

MacDONALD, Thomas
Competed in Highland dancing at the 1835 Prize Pipe in Edinburgh.

MacDONALD, Thomas
Pipe Major of the 7th Battalion Black Watch in the First World War. Awarded the Military Medal while serving as a dispatch runner during the Battle of the Somme.

MacDONALD, William
Piper to Sir James Grant of Grant
In 1786 competed at Edinburgh.

MacDONALD, William
From Glasgow.
Competed at the 1835 Prize Pipe in Edinburgh.

MacDONALD, William (1842-
Born at Escart
Piper to MacPherson of Glentruim, he came from a famous piping family which included his father Alexander, his brothers Sandy and Duncan, and his nephews John and Andrew (see all).
Later he was piper to John Fisher of Balavil and then in 1865 he became piper to the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII).
He was a right shouldered player.
He also won the Northern Meeting Prize Pipe in 1868 (2nd in 1866) and the Champion’s Gold Medal 1869.
Later in life his religious beliefs led to him giving up piping and he burned his pipes.
Composer of ‘Leaving Glenurquhart’

MacDONALD, William
Pipe Major of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers and a composer of note. Amongst his tunes are three published in the Logan’s Collection—’Champion of the Seas’, ‘The Garb of Old Gaul’ and ‘Craig Millar Castle’, all superb examples of their type.

MacDONALD, William
Acting Pipe Major of the 4th/5th Battalion Queens Own Cameron Highlanders from 1962 until 1963.

MacDONALD, William (Benbecula)
Known as ‘Willie MacDonald, Benbecula’ to distinguish him, although he spent many years of his life in Inverness and was actually born in Glasgow.
Was a boy student at the famous Queen Victoria School.
As a youngster he joined the Highland Light Infantry as a piper and then after a short spell out of the army re-enlisted in the Camerons until his discharge in 1963.
Won the Gold Medals at Inverness in 1965, Oban in 1969 and the Northern Meeting Clasp (1967) as well as the Senior Piobaireachd (Oban) in 1973.
Also was pipe major of the Inverness RBL Pipe Band.

A-Z OF PIPERS ‘Mc’ page 4