Balmoral Tartan at Balmoral. 1

[ScotFree]

Yes it is still current, Balmoral tartan is one of the very few tartans that it is almost impossible to get, and weavers will not produce it except by special arrangement

Oh I know the tartan is still current. I meant the Queens Piper ... is there still such a position and does he still get to wear the Balmoral Tartan.

[Jock Scot]

Oh I know the tartan is still current. I meant the Queens Piper ... is there still such a position and does he still get to wear the Balmoral Tartan.

Yes indeed. Did you not read what it says on picture four?

[ScotFree]

Yes indeed. Did you not read what it says on picture four?

Aye, I did read it in fact. However, I remained unsure if this was historical or still ongoing. Much appreciate you clearing up that tidbit of confusion on my part.

[Duke of Delrio]

I doubt we Yanks are any more foreign to our British cousins than when discussing the monarchy. Perhaps, Jock you can help me on two points. Mind you, this is what I was taught during grammar school days, and either or both could be incorrect.

I remember being taught that Balmoral is a private estate which the Queen owns through inheritance from Queen Victoria's purchase of the property, and as such, is not an asset of the Crown. We were also taught that Queen Elizabeth II enjoys pipe music every morning at Balmoral and at Buckingham Palace as well.

I have always wondered about these two points and am hoping you can enlighten me. Thank you for posting those photos. They took me all the way back to Mrs. Jensen's Third Grade Classroom

[Steve Ashton]

As an interesting side note..
The Balmoral Tartan was not originally restricted to use by the family.

I know Matt Newsome has a pre 1932 kid's kilt in the Balmoral which his children wear.

And I once saw two Balmoral Tartan kilts in our local antique shop.

Thanks for posting those pics.

[PEEDYC]

It doesn't look as though the Balmoral Tartan is still worn by the Queen's Pipers if the plaid is anything to go by in the picture on this web site. There does seem to be a hint of it on his pipes though.

http://www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalHous...eensPiper.aspx

Jock :- Ross was the second Queen's piper ; all dates on the above site.

It is confusing as this photo taken in 2000 shows the pipers still wearing the Balmoral ????? http://www.bagpipejourney.com/articl...n_pipers.shtml

[cessna152towser]

Thanks for these excellent pics Jock and for the information.


Further to Steve Ashton's comment above, here is a photograph of the late Arthur Squair wearing a version of the Balmoral tartan in 1990. I worked for Arthur when he was leader of Roxburgh District Council and he would tell of a connection he had with the Royal family and how he had obtained authorisation from the Queen to wear the Balmoral tartan.

[PEEDYC]

Duke of Delrio :- You are correct on both points. Queen Victoria purchased Balmoral and it has been owned by the Royal family ever since. It was also she who started the tradition of being awakened by the pipes. The Queen's piper plays underneath her bedroom window for 15 minutes from 09:00 hours. The Queen Mother also kept up this tradition until her death in 2002.

[Downunder Kilt]

Here is a link to a article which shows what the Queens piper was wearing in 2010
http://tour-scotland-photographs.blo...-scotland.html

It is the Balmoral tartan.

Update
I have done a bit more research and the photo in the link above, although put on the web in 2010 appears to be of PM Jim Stout who was the Queens Piper 2003 - 2006. If one does a search of the web, you can find various Queens pipers in a variety of tartans at different events. I would imagine that if the PM was not performing duties for the Queen at Balmoral, then he may wear his regiments tartan or another tartan associated with the Royal Household.

[Jock Scot]

All I can say is that there was a picture of the present Queens Piper in a very prominant position and he was indeed clad in Balmoral tartan. I suspect that protocol must play a large part in which uniform is worn.