No, this is not a mint-condition 1880 ebony bagpipe made by the famous Duncan MacDougall of Aberfeldy. I made this bagpipe from African blackwood and palm “ivory,” an excellent natural material that looks and feels much like antique elephant or marine ivory. This instrument is a very carefully detailed reproduction of a Duncan MacDougall bagpipe that came to its current owner via “Wee” Donald MacLeod, who identified it as originally belonging to the great John MacDonald of Inverness.

The finish on this instrument is a very thin coat of ultra-pure blonde shellac, which is the finish Duncan MacDougall used. This shellac is painstakingly applied and is so thin that it cannot easily chip, crack, or wear. It can hardly be seen, but if the parts of the pipe are rotated in sunlight, a beautiful cat's-eye effect can be seen on the wood. I take all the pictures of my instruments fresh from my workshop. There is no special touch-up, soft-focus, or marketing frills. Zoom in as close as you want; I'm confident that my pipes will pass the closest scrutiny.