Downton Abbey: Journey to the Highlands

[EagleJCS]

Over the weekend, I just happened to see an episode of "Great Estates Scotland" on PBS, featuring Inveraray Castle. (Originally aired in 2014). In the episode, the piper in question, Iain Campbell, is mentioned at 9:35. The Duke of Argyll, His Grace Torquhil Ian Campbell, mentions that he and his brother played at their (the current Duke and his wife's) wedding.

[OC Richard]

Thanks for that!

He did look like "a real piper".

TV and film productions are inconsistent. Sometimes they dress up an extra and give him a set of pipes and the result never looks convincing. Sometimes, knowing that an extra faking it will look like what it is, will hire an actual player.

One advantage is that the "real piper" will probably provide his own costume and know how to wear it, looking more authentic than something the Costumer throws together.

About what's heard on the sountrack that's inconsistent too. I've played for several films and TV shows. Sometimes I appear onscreen and they have me go into a recording studio before, or after, the day they shoot the scene.

I've done things where they have used a piper for the shoot, and I'm recording over them (in effect).

The oddest thing is when they've hired me to play uilleann pipes while the scene shows a Highland piper! I've done that several times.

[DCampbell16B]

Iain's brother would be Donald Campbell. Donald often plays at the castle. I don't know about Iain.

The only time I was there was years ago (OK, 1983) when Ronnie McCallum was piper to the then Duke. He showed me the house pipes from the castle. Somewhere I have a slide of him playing those pipes with Argyll's banner. His job was to play in the great hall every morning at 8 AM, then take care of the gardens.

After church Sunday morning I was on the castle grounds. I heard someone ask if the Duke had been in church. Mrs. Ronnie spoke up "I don't know if the Duke was, but the Duke's piper wasn't!"

[OC Richard]

the piper in question, Iain Campbell, is mentioned at 9:35. The Duke of Argyll, His Grace Torquhil Ian Campbell, mentions that he and his brother played at their (the current Duke and his wife's) wedding.

On the castle's Facebook page I found a video of Iain Campbell playing in the same outfit he wore on Downton Abbey.

https://www.facebook.com/inverarayca...=page_internal

There are only two anachronisms in the outfit Iain Campbell is wearing in Downton Abbey

1) the bag-cover is a style that appeared around 20 years ago, with the lace ordinarily used for doublets replacing the traditional fringe.

2) the doublet is a style that isn't seen at that time, more ornate than even the most ornate military Pipe Major's doublet. That style became popular with military-style civilian pipe bands from around 1970 onwards.

Here are three pipers of around the Downton Abbey period. Note that the piper on the left, who appears to be a military Pipe Major, wears a rather plain doublet. In truth I would have dressed the Downton Abbey piper like the piper to centre in typical civilian piper's dress of the period. The piper to right appears to be a civilian in a semi-military outfit (civilian pipe bands wearing military-style dress often wear the following badges of office: Pipe Sergeant, Drum Major, and Drum Sergeant).



In the army, the Pipe Majors of some regiments wore rather plain doublets while other regiments tended to the ornate. I think the only doublet of that period to have full gold lace everywhere was that of the Pipe Major of the Gordon Highlanders



Iain Campbell's doublet is similar to this civilian one, with full gold lace including the loops on collar and cuffs



here being worn (with silver lace) by The Red Hackle Pipe Band in the 1970s

[McMurdo]

I just skimmed through the episode and got a couple of screenshots of Shrimpy at the ball

[figheadair]

As OC Richard has observed, the outfit is a pretty good representation of the period but I doubt anyone played snooker, or billiards, wearing a plaid.

[McMurdo]

As OC Richard has observed, the outfit is a pretty good representation of the period but I doubt anyone played snooker, or billiards, wearing a plaid.

He actually does not play, rather he is musing about his uncertain future with Lord Grantham, rolling the ball around.

[jhockin]

As OC Richard has observed, the outfit is a pretty good representation of the period but I doubt anyone played snooker, or billiards, wearing a plaid.

I wonder if, to be historically correct, it would have/ should have been a “half plaid”, such as Matt Newsome described, in his article
http://kiltmaker.blogspot.com/2008/0...ats-plaid.html

[OC Richard]

I wonder if, to be historically correct, it would have/ should have been a “half plaid”, such as Matt Newsome described, in his article...

Yes the long plaid wrapped around the body, as Hugh is wearing, was a popular Victorian thing which would have looked antiquated in 1921. But he's old enough to have worn that style in the 1880s when it was still current, and oftentimes men stick to the styles of their youth.

For sure to be current in 1921 he would have worn what was called at the time a "belted plaid", that is, a plaid fringed all around, with a fringed tab that goes through the epaulette, and as the name implies a self-belt that goes round the waist. (Not sure if that's what the article means by "half plaid" which is a term new to me; the belted plaid isn't a halved anything, but a unique garment in its own right.)

Unfortunately people nowadays use terms for the various styles of plaid which are vague and misleading.

When the philabeg fully replaced the philamore in the army around 1800 belted plaids were introduced for Full Dress. These were new complex tailored garments which when worn with the philabeg gave a fair imitation of the old philamore.

There were two patterns, one for officers which was fringed all round, and one for Other Ranks which was not. Both of these patterns are still used in the military.

Officers when wearing riding breeches or trews wore the long plaid wrapped around the body. This same officers long plaid was later adopted by the pipers of the Cameron Highlanders in the 1840s and quickly spread to the pipers of other Highland battalions.

Both of the officers' patterns (long, and belted) were widely worn in Victorian civilian Highland Dress, the long plaid going out of style by around 1900 leaving only the officers' pattern belted plaid, which is still worn in civilian Highland Dress today.

That's the traditional picture. To which can be added the newly created Kilt Hire plaid of the late 20th century, simply a square of fabric hanging down the back, beltless.

[KennethSime]

We just started this show on Netflix. My better half has watched it before, but first time for me. Can't wait until they go to Scotland. Also can't wait for the Easter Rising, and some of the other historical events I hear they cover.