Why so common?

[OC Richard]

Royal Stewart seems to be restricted in that military units have been granted the right to wear it by the Sovereign, for example King George VI granting blue hackles to the Cameron Highlanders and giving permission for the pipers to wear Royal Stewart kilts and plaids.

Here's Pipe Major Evan MacRae of the Cameron Highlanders during the short time they wore Royal Stewart.

A decade after George VI put their pipers into Royal Stewart the Camerons were amalgamated with the Seaforths to form The Queens Own Highlanders, the pipers of which reverted to the original Cameron Highlanders piper's uniforms with Erracht Cameron kilts and plaids.

BTW I think this photo is the most often reproduced image of a piper. I've seen it on tea-towels, ash-trays, shot glasses, and on innumerable post-cards.



Here's the original photo, a tea-towel which used it, and a tea-towel where they stuck a feather bonnet on Evan's head!

I'm surprised that white spats didn't appear on his feet at some point.