Scottish Piper’s Uniform

The sight of a Highland Piper in his full outfit is sure to
stir the blood of not only self-respecting Scots around the
world but also people without a trace of Scottish blood running
through their bodies. There can be few more inspiring
prospects than seeing, and hearing, a piper in full flow.
At Scottish Wedding Pipers we are proud, not only of
the quality of the musical ability of our pipers, but also of
their immaculate appearance at your functions. It is
quite common for the actual costume that the piper is wearing
to be the source of considerable interest, so it is worth
describing the regalia in some detail.
In actual fact, there are two dress codes which our pipers can
follow – we call them 'Number One' dress or 'Number two', and
the choice of what the piper wears is your's alone.
"Number One"
Uniform:

The full ceremonial uniform - or No. 1 dress, as we call it
- is made up of the kilt, tunic, sporran (made of horse
hair), spats and diced hose, full plaid with a Cairngorm brooch
and a feather bonnet. This is the ultimate eye-catcher
which can always be guaranteed to create a spectacular
impression.
Number Two
Uniform:

The piper’s Number Two uniform, whilst also pleasing to the eye
and full of interest, is a little less formal than the Number
One and rather more contemporary. The Number Two uniform
has a kilt but this time is accompanied by an Argyll jacket,
shirt and tie, ghillie brogues and a horsehair sporran. I
realise that some of these terms might be a little meaningless
to many non-Scottish readers, so here are a few definitions to
help you build up your mental image of the respective
uniforms.
Highland Dress:
The kilt is obviously the emblematic Scottish garment, worn in
the tartan specific to the piper’s clan or band. At
the front of the kilt will be the horsehair
sporran. A sporran comes in ordinary or military
style and will usually have pouches in them, enabling the
piper to carry personal possessions. It has been known
for pipers to keep ‘a wee dram’ of whisky in their sporran –
but, needless to say, Scottish Wedding Pipers are far too
professional to contemplate doing that!
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A belt is normally worn around the waist of the kilt
with an elaborate buckle at its front. This buckle can
often be extravagantly designed although most will now have the
clan insignia or band motif upon it. The piper will wear knee
high socks known as diced hose, of handmade, patterned Scottish
wool. Tucked into the top of the sock will be the famous
Skean Dhus, the small knife, (or dirk, to the Scots), which
will usually feature a ruby in the handle as well as clan or
Celtic designs. Often, flashes, in either the clan tartan
or perhaps a plain colour, will be worn under the top of each
sock and will provide an eye-catching contrast to the whiteness
of the sock itself.
If the piper is in our alternative uniform and wearing Ghillie
Brogues, (highland shoes), he will also wear buttoned spats,
which are vividly bright - and need repainting after every
use!

The feather bonnet worn is, nowadays, manufactured from
imitation ostrich feathers which have been dyed black. Its
height not only helps make the piper appear taller but, because
the bonnet is hollow, it was also used to allow pipers to keep
‘a wee dram’. The whisky, of course, was used simply to
keep out the cold. The Piper’s Doublet, (not to be confused
with goblet), is the name of the full ceremonial
jacket. They are, with their silver or golden embroidery,
striking garments.
The plaid is a piece of tartan cloth which is worn across
the shoulder and reaches down beneath the kilt. The plaid
is held in place with the Plaid Brooch, such as the one
pictured here bearing the insignia of the Macnaughtons Vale of
Atholl Pipe Band.
As you can appreciate, many of these elements have their
symbolic significance in the cultural traditions of Scotland.
Together, they combine to create a piper who, as well as
performing in the stirring manner in which only a Scottish
piper can, will make a lasting visual impression.
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