"42nd Bagpipes" Topic

Hi,
For the past few months I've been painting an Anglo-Spanish Division for the Peninsular. I've put off painting the Highlanders, but I can't any longer, so I've started them tonight.
When I first started it was all going to be generic, but with the Brits at least I've started painting specific regiments, so the Highlanders are going to be The 42nd The Black Watch.
I've found references and painting guides for the uniforms including the tartan, but nothing for the Bagpipes, so can someone please tell me was the bag on the pipes tartan?

Cheers

tfc

Most certainly!

Pics I've seen indicate just a plain dark coloured bag for the pipes. The ribbon around the pipes was the Royal Stewart tartan as is the kilt worn by the piper.

should be royal stewart along with the kilt, I will check my references

Actually the Royal Stewart Tartan for Black Watch Pipers is a post Napoleonic effect. It seems to keep getting pushed back into the depths of time, even as far as the War of the Austrian Succession by Preben Kannik! When the Stewarts still had pretensions to the throne! Royal Stewart tartan didn't exist, 'til the Sobieski-Stewart brothers and Sir Walter Scott. Also, pipers were non-official at this point and were carried on strength as privates. So, Government Tartan kilts.

Pipe bags often seem to be green, but why not go with facing coloured or leather coloured.

Well I've got 42 kilts and 3 sashes to paint tartan, so a bagpipe bag won't make much difference, I'll do it tartan.
Thanks for your input guys!

I have some very expensive tartan paint for sale on e-Bay.

@1968billsfan
No thanks but Im in need of a decent tin of striped paint for my Franks.

Given the amount of spare material from converting kilts to trews (up to four pairs from each, IIRC) I'd say a tartan bag would be appropriate.

BTW, unless you're talking about the extra kilt material hung from the shoulder, I don't think the sashes should be tartan – pretty sure they would be crimson, as for all other officers.

Bagpipe bags are leather or sheepskin, but are covered by a cloth bag cover. Usually in military units this is in the regimental tartan. Otherwise, it is usually a solid dark color. But there are no piper uniform regulations for this period, so go nuts if you like. Generally, the Black Watch seems to have used its own "government" tartan for bag covers, as far as can be documented, even when the pipers were garbed in Royal Stuart kilts.