Some background: prior to 1809 there were eleven Highland regiments.
In 1809 all but five lost their Highland status and became ordinary British regiments, dressed like the Lowland and English regiments. In the Victorian period three of the six de-kilted regiments regained a measure of Highland status, being granted tartan trews.
Here are the 19th century numbered Highland regiments and what happened to their status:
42nd: 1809: retained Highland dress. 1881: 1/BW.
71st: 1809: lost Highland dress. 1881: 1/HLI. 1948: granted Highland dress.
72nd: 1809: lost Highland dress. 1823: granted PCE trews. 1881: 1/SEA.
73rd: 1809: lost Highland dress. 1881: 2/BW.
74th: 1809: lost Highland dress. 1845: granted Lamont trews. 2/HLI. 1948: granted Highland dress.
75th: 1809: lost Highland dress. 1881:1/GOR.
78th: 1809: retained Highland dress. 1881: 2/SEA.
79th: 1809: retained Highland dress. 1881: 1/CAM.
91st: 1809: lost Highland dress. 1864: granted Campbell trews. 1881: 1/ARG.
92nd: 1809: retained Highland dress. 1881: 2/GOR.
93rd: 1809: retained Highland dress. 1881: 2/ARG.
It's probably why I've not been able to find pre-1881 images of pipers of some of these regiments: having lost their Highland status, they might not have had them.
I forgot to put the senior Highland regiment, the 42nd!
Their pipers were dressed somewhat unusually in tartan doublets. The doublets and bag-covers were Black Watch tartan, the kilt and plaid originally in the Black Watch "music tartan".
The 92nd Foot in 1861. Note that the pipers are wearing Balmorals with blackcock tails. Also note the distinctive tall spats of the 92nd.
This very interesting dress of the pipers of the 93rd Foot in 1853, ornate red doublets prior to the general introduction of doublets in the Highland regiments
When doublets were given to all Highland soldiers in 1855 they had slash cuffs, which were changed to gauntlet cuffs in 1867. This photo shows a piper of the 93rd with gauntlet cuffs prior to their general introduction. I do wonder if the piper's doublet was red, or green.
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