Going, going . . . big auction of vintage pipes in Glasgow in August

A significant auction of bagpipes and vintage piping and drumming gear is scheduled for August 15 in Glasgow, smack dab in the middle of Piping Live! and just before the first day of the World Pipe Band Championships.

McTear’s Auctioneers is listing more than 100 lots contributed from the estate of a single collector, including instruments from R.G. Lawrie, Sinclair, Peter Henderson and Grainger & Campbell, as well as sets of bellows-blown and European pipes, reeds and music books.

The auction is believed to be the largest single auction of Highland pipes and materials ever.

It’s the first such all-bagpipes auction for the auction house. Viewing of items begins on August 13 and continues each day until the auction starts at 2:30 pm on Thursday, August 15.

A spokesperson for “Edinburgh’s Festival of Ireland,” a public festival held in every March in Scotland’s capital city, which obtained the collection, said that the 108 items came from an anonymous donor who is moving house.

The sets of Highland pipes items apparently include a possible set of drones by Robertson of Edinburgh, as well as various practice chanters, some with ivory mounts.

The items will be posted for preview viewing online in the next few weeks at the MacTear’s website.

An auction of the great Donald MacPherson’s medals and trophies in 2015 resulted in the items, sold as a total lot, not being sold. His estate had hoped to realize at least £18,000 from the event.

In 2017, the Highland Society of London Gold Medal for piobaireachd won by Corporal (not Pipe-Major) William Ross at the 1902 Argyllshire Gathering sold for about US$1,300, approximately the value of its weight at the time in 20 kt gold.

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