Ghillie brogues - why the dislike and resentment..?

[JPS]

I think that you have the picture time line about right there OCR, perhaps the top left one might be a tad earlier, but not enough to matter. Going off topic a tad, it’s interesting and striking that the headwear is common in all the pictures. I see a “deer stalker” as an exception, in one of the pictures but generally the bonnet choice is a common choice for nearly all of those marching. These days I suspect the front rank of a similar march today would wear a bonnet and the following ranks, even in inclement weather would be mostly bare-headed.

What's more, I'd wager that several of these are the exact same bonnets, photographed multiple times over many years. I recognize at least one of them, worn by the Duke of Argyll.

[OC Richard]

What's more, I'd wager that several of these are the exact same bonnets, photographed multiple times over many years. I recognize at least one of them, worn by the Duke of Argyll.

Right, it's the same event (Oban) and the same people can be traced from photo to photo in several cases.

There's quite a time leap from the 1930s to the 1950s to the 1990s and then more recent.

All told, nearly a century.

[OC Richard]

It’s interesting and striking that the headwear is common in all the pictures. I see a “deer stalker” as an exception in one of the pictures but generally the bonnet choice is a common choice for nearly all of those marching. These days I suspect the front rank of a similar march today would wear a bonnet and the following ranks, even in inclement weather would be mostly bare-headed.

About the bonnets, what I haven't posted are the photos from all those years of the crowd of competing solo pipers (as opposed to a Pipe Band) marching in, and those also exclusively show Balmoral bonnets up till around 1980 when a smattering of Glengarries start to appear.

Also the pipers, like the Stewards, are all in tweed jackets till one piper appears in a black Argyll around 1980.

It always strikes me as odd how few people in the piping community realise how recent the black Argyll + Glengarry + Ghillie kit is.

(I guess it shows how old I am, to regard the 1980s as 'recent'!)

[JPS]

About the bonnets, what I haven't posted are the photos from all those years of the crowd of competing solo pipers (as opposed to a Pipe Band) marching in, and those also exclusively show Balmoral bonnets up till around 1980 when a smattering of Glengarries start to appear.

Also the pipers, like the Stewards, are all in tweed jackets till one piper appears in a black Argyll around 1980.

It always strikes me as odd how few people in the piping community realise how recent the black Argyll + Glengarry + Ghillie kit is.

(I guess it shows how old I am, to regard the 1980s as 'recent'!)

Here's an old video of the Glenfinnan Piping Competition that illustrates this well. There's also a decent survey of footwear here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThNNSd3Xf5o