The Faery Pipes

The Faery Pipes

Highlands,Clans

Said to have been made more than 800 years ago, the Faery bagpipes of Kinlochmoidart, are very special as they are thought to be one of the oldest set of pipes in existence and the first with two holes, adding an extra sounding hole at the end of the chanter. The legend is that the MacIntyre piper made the pipes after he had a dream where a “faery” came to him and told him to ‘Heat up your poker until it’s white hot and pierce the bottom of your chanter side to side and it will make the sweetest sound in Scotland.’ The pipes were said to have been played at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 by MacIntyre, Clanranald's piper. The pipes are supposed to be enchanted and never been played by the losing side of a battle. Only the chanter now survives of the original, the blow-pipe, the drone and the tartan bag date from a later period. An engraved silver plate has also been added to the drone to commemorate the pipe’s importance. When Macintyre's descendant emigrated to America early in the 19th century, the pipes were left in the care of Lieut. Colonel Donald Macdonald of the Royal Scots, 7th of Kinlochmoidart, so that they should not leave the Highlands. They are now on long term loan to the museum. In July 2018 the pipes were played at the Clan MacIntyre clan gathering. This was only the fourth time they had been played in 200 years. The video shows Ruaraidh Petre MacIntyre playing the pipes in Glenoe by Loch Etive, the ancestral lands of MacIntyres.

MacIntyre

objects,highlandlife,clans

13th century

eulac3d

English

Physical Object

44

24/12/2020

L 580 mm x W 590 mm

West Highland Museum

find,56.789790, -5.754758;

West Highlands Museum

TEXT

132

wood, wool, silver

3419