Donald must have been a very special person to be a top competing piper in 1876, hospitalized in 1879 at the age of 37, and dead at age 38. He probably lifted pints regularly with Robert MacKinnon and Alexander MacArthur, as they all operated bagpipe businesses within steps of one another. MacArthur actually moved into the residential address (26 Thistle Street) vacated by MacPhee in 1872. We believe that Peter Henderson probably worked MacPhee’s business in that final year. The Oban Times of May 1880 carried an advertisement stating that Henderson was taking over MacPhee’s business premises. These images are of Donald MacPhee bagpipes. The sound is said to be full, rich, and majestic not at all unlike the sound of early Peter Henderson bagpipes.
I received the note below and the pictures at the left.
“Very rare, fully restored Donald MacPhee (c. 1870’s) bagpipes in ebony and fully mounted with ivory (projecting mounts, ferrules, ring caps, bushes).”
“The person whom I received this bagpipe from, told me shortly before she died that the bagpipe was bought in 1876 from Donald MacPhee’s shop at 17 Royal Arcade by her great grandfather for her grandfather for his 21st birthday, quite a beautiful story really. She said there was a makers mark on the pipes on one of the tuning pins, but it was faint and disappeared over time and was completely gone by the time I received them. Cheers.”
The pictures below are all authenticated Donald MacPhee bagpipes. I will add here that he stamped his instruments as “D. McPhee”.
