An officer's or Laird's Piper

[macwilkin]

You might wish to see if either your local library and/or purveyor of books can obtain a copy of John Gibson's Traditional Gaelic Bagpiping, 1745-1945 for you.

T.

[Dall_Piobaire]

Well, my local library leaves a whole lot to be desired. I will have to see if I can find the book elsewhere. Is it still in print?

Great suggestion, thanks.

[Wetootwaag]

What bagpipes are you planning to use? Hugh Cheape's Bagpipe A national instrument book has a great disc with several images of pipers from that period, here's a couple I fancy quite a lot.
Archibald MacArthur an etching from 1810


A little later, but Angus MacKay by Alexander Johnston 1840



Piper George Clarke, 71st regiment from 1816



Of course the Piper O'Farrell, not necessarily what you're looking for, but O'Farrell here depicted for Oscar and Malvina trying to amp up Scottishness from 1798



And My Favorite: Neil Maclean from 1784

[OC Richard]

Archibald MacArthur an etching from 1810


Piper George Clarke, 71st regiment from 1816


Of course the Piper O'Farrell, not necessarily what you're looking for, but O'Farrell here depicted for Oscar and Malvina trying to amp up Scottishness from 1798



And My Favorite: Neil Maclean from 1784

Yes you're hitting the nail on the head! Getting the time period mentioned in the OP just right.

It's an odd period in Highland Dress, the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th, because fashion in general was rapidly changing at that time. The late 18th century coat, open with buttoned back lapels, gave way to a coat buttoned across the front.

The cutoff of the period mentioned might be 1822, the Royal visit to Scotland, because that seems to be when Highland Dress became very flamboyant.

Here are a couple costumes worn during that 1822 visit:





And here's a tad late, an 1835 costume:



So getting that c1800 costume right would entail getting the right jacket and right sporran. An animal mask sporran is the best in a way, because they were worn in the late 18th century up till today. Feather bonnets were well on their way to becoming like the modern ones.

About the actual set of pipes, you can go on Ringo Bowen's Bagpipe Museum site and see Donald MacDonald pipes made in that very period.

The modern pipes that most resemble that look are Gibson's standard model.

[Wetootwaag]

And here's some images of me as a piper to the Owners of the North West Company in the 1790's.