A TREASURE trove of trophies won by one of Scotland's best-known and most successful competitive pipers is to go under the hammer at auction.
The haul of medals, worth between £12,000 and £18,000, was amassed by Donald MacPherson during a career spanning more than half a century and contains some of piping's highest honours.
Included among the collection are The Argyllshire Gathering Open Competition for Piobaireachd, won by MacPherson in 1955, 1956, 1962, and the Argyllshire Gathering Trophy, presented by John Graham Campbell of Shirvan, in Piobaireachd, which he won in 1954.
Other achievements of his piping career include winning the Gold Medal and Clasp for piobaireachd at the Northern Meeting in Inverness, making him the first piper in history to do so, while his last victory come in 1990 at Oban, where he played a memorable rendition of Lady MacDonald’s Lament at the age of 68 years old.
MacDonald was born and educated in Glasgow and learned the pipes from his his father, Iain, who had been taught by Pipe Major John MacDougall Gillies, one of the great players of the early 20th century.
As well as being a master player, he was a talented composer of pipe tunes and in his spare time he passed on his knowledge to some of the best pipers of the generations that followed him.
He also played at many recitals throughout the UK and abroad. After he retired from competition he became a respected judge at piping contests.
MacDonald was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to piping and was also piper to the Lord Provost of Glasgow and was inducted into Scotland’s Traditional Music Hall of Fame. He died on the 21 April, 2012.
The medals and trophies will be sold at Lyon and Turnbull's auction house on October the 14th 2015 in Edinburgh.
Trevor Kyle Director of Lyon & Turnbull said “Donald MacPherson was as close to a musical legend and gifted musician as you can get.
"He won his first Gold Medal for piobaireachd at his first appearance at the Argyllshire Gathering in 1948, where he won the Gold Medal, a Holy Grail for pipers that can only be won by the most skilful piper.
"The family has decided to sell the collection as one lot, in the hope it will be bought by an institution that will make it available to the public.”
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