This is one of the most historic and well authenticated bagpipes we have ever had on the Vintage page. Robert Urquhart Brown (aka R. U. Brown, Bob Brown) was one of the great players and piobaireachd authorities of the 20th century. A pupil of John MacDonald of Inverness and one of the famous “Bobs of Balmoral,” he made his living along with Robert Nicol as a gamekeeper and Royal Estate Piper at Balmoral Castle. He and Nicol are immortalized in the “Masters of Piobaireachd” CD series released some years ago. Very few taught as many great pipers as the Bobs.

This set of cocuswood Hendersons was owned by Bob Brown throughout his life and remained in the family afterwards until I purchased them about three years ago. The history of the pipes is documented in a letter written by Bob’s daughter that has been with the pipes since 2002. It reads, in part:

These bagpipes were the first bagpipes owned by my father, the late Pipe Major Robert Urquhart Brown, M.B.E. of Balmoral. He was piper to H.M. King George V, H.M. King George VI and H.M. Queen Elizabeth.

These bagpipes were a gift to him as a boy after winning the first major Piobaireachd competition he entered, which was the Argyllshire Gathering Junior Competition. Thereafter he played them for about 10 years until he won the Inverness Gold Medal Competition in 1928. He was then given a set of silver mounted bagpipes which he played until his death in 1972. These bagpipes have remained with the Brown family since then….

We don’t know if the pipes were new or not when Brown acquired them, but they are certainly WW1 or earlier.

I have played this set as my #1 bagpipe for the past three years, not just because it was Bob Brown’s bagpipe, but because it is one of the best sets of Hendersons I have ever played. I always said I would never sell it, but I’ve said that about other amazing instruments I have acquired, and when a new remarkable set comes up (this time a lovely full ivory Donald MacPhee set, circa 1870s) I pass the previous set on and get to know the new one. It’s a pattern I’m sure I will continue. I’m not one to hoard bagpipes.

No repairs were required to this set when I acquired them, and as far as I know the finish is original.

If it looks like it’s been played recently, that’s because it has. I removed the bag minutes before these photos were taken.