Duncan is thought to have taken over his father’s (John) business in Perth in 1857. According to Jeannie Campbell (her book, Highland Bagpipe Makers, is an absolute must!) from 1851 to 1867 Duncan’s exact whereabouts is unknown. His obituary, which is posted at the right, indicates that he traveled abroad for several years.
In August 1867 Duncan, age 29, married Isabella. Their residence was given as 33 Thistle Street, Edinburgh. He is described as a wood turner journeyman. The following year they moved to 26 St. James Square, Edinburgh. By 1873 Duncan and family had moved to Taymouth Castle, where he continued to make bagpipes. These would be stamped “Breadalbane”. In 1881 the family is found in Weem, a small village near Aberfeldy. By 1891 the family had moved to Kenmore Street, Aberfeldy.
Duncan’s medals (seen at the right) were offered at auction. The following was the description provided:
Duncan McDougall (1837-1898)
Duncan McDougall was born into a family of pipe makers in Perth. His grandfather Allan founded the firm in 1792, which then passed to his father John around 1834. Duncan inherited the business in 1857 and moved it to Edinburgh around 1861. Later he relocated the business to Aberfeldy, where he stayed for the next 14 years.
Outside of the family business Mr McDougall took part in various other piping activities. These included becoming Pipe Major of the Edinburgh Volunteers and instructor to the Black Watch volunteers. In 1870 he won the Prize Pipe for Piobaireachd at Inverness, having made the prize pipe himself. Mr MacDougall then won the Gold Medal at Inverness in 1873. Alongside this, in 1876 he won the Champion’s Gold Medal as “Champion of Champions” or “King of Pipers.” The award had been held only three times previously.
Of shaped black velvet, mounted with fifteen medals, the first awarded from the Perth Highland Society by W.J. Taylor, London, bearing the town badge on one side and engraved to the obverse ‘First Prize to D.M Dougall for reel playing July 19th 1862’, a white metal medal with thistle embossed rim engraved ‘Strathallan Highland Games 1st Prize for Marches & Reels awarded to Dn McDougall’, with purple ribbon with thistle engraved pin and bars ‘1st for marches & reels August, 1875’, ‘1st prize marches & reels August 1871′,’1st prize marches & reels August 1870′,’1st prize marches & reels August 1869′,’1st prize marches & reels August 1868′,’1st prize marches & reels August 1865’. A white metal medal with figure of St Andrew to one side, engraved to the obverse ‘the best piper at St Andrews Games Dn McDougall 1857’, a white metal medal by Kirkwood & Sons Edinburgh for the Argyllshire Gathering, engraved to the obverse ‘awarded to Duncan MacDougall for marches, September 1887’, a gilt medal with figures in Highland dress standing centred with a crown and crossed sword and sceptre above the motto ‘An Comunn Gaelach’, engraved to the obverse ‘The champion medal of the Highland Society of London Awarded to Duncan McDougall Inverness the best of prize Pibroch players’, with engraved pin attachment and bars engraved ‘1st Pibrochs Glenfalloch Sept 3rd 1869’, ‘1st for Pibrochs. Aberfeldy Games. August 1876′, 1st for Pibrochs Blairathol. Sept 1874’, ‘1st for Pibrochs Crieff games Augst 1873, ‘gained the prize bagpipes. Septr. 1870’, a white metal medal engraved to one side ‘Dundee Highland Association’ and to the observe ‘1st prize for reel playing’ with purple ribbon and foliate engraved pin with bar engraved, ‘1st prize marches & reels July 1867’, ‘1st prize marches & reels August 1858’, ‘1st prize for reel playing July 1857’, ‘1st prize marches & reels August 1856’, a white metal medal engraved ‘Dunkeld Highland Games 1st prizes for marches and reels awarded to Duncan McDougall’, on a purple ribbon with bars engraved as follows, ‘1st prize marches & reels August 1857’, ‘1st prize for reels & marches’,’3rd for phiosbroch August 1872′, ‘1st prized for reels & 1st for marches July 1869’ ‘2nd for marches July 1867’, ‘1st prize for reel playing 2nd for marches July 1866’, ‘2nd prize for reel playing August 1865’, ‘1st prize for reel playing July 1863’, ‘1st prize for reel playing July 1860’, a white metal medal with image of St Andrew to one side and engraved to the obverse, ‘Awarded to Dn McDougall as the best player of Strathspeys & reels on the bagpipes at St Andrew Games 1856’, a purple velvet ribbon medal lacking with bar engraved as follows, ‘1st for reels 2nd for Pibrochs Aug 1874’, ‘1st prize marches & reels August 1872’, ‘2nd prize for reels & 3rd for marches August 1871’, ‘1st prize marches & reels August 1870’, a silver medal engraved ‘Angus & Mearns Highland Games Oct 1854, held at Montrose 1st prize for marches & reels awarded to Dn McDougall’, a long service volunteers force medal, engraved to the rim ‘Pipe Major Duncan MacDougall 5th V.B.R.H, with additional bar engraved ‘pined on by the Marchioness of Breadalbane week camp 1895’, a silver medal engraved ‘Awarded by the Edin Highland Society to Dn McDougall 31st July 1857’, and engraved to the obverse ‘second prize for playing of marches on the great Highland bagpipes’, the blue ribbon with additional bars engraved as follows,’1st prize marches & reels August 1871′, ‘1st prize for slow marches July 1850’, ‘1st prize for reel playing July 1860’, awarded from the Perth Highland Society by W.J. Taylor, London, bearing the town badge on one side and engraved to the obverse ‘first prize to D McDougall for reel playing July 24th 1857’, the remnants of a medal with red ribbon and white metal suspender, a white metal medal engraved ‘awarded to Mr Duncan McDougall for reels Perth Hd Society Sep 26th 1858’, a yellow metal medal engraved ‘Best Pibroch Player Birnam 1875’ and to the obverse ‘presented by J. Robertson Reid esq Tomnagrew gained by Duncan McDougall’, a white metal medal in the form of St Andrew on his cross, with bar engraved as follow, ‘1st prize. reel dancing Newcastle Games May 1859’, ‘1st prize sword dance Stirling games, June 1858’, ‘1st Prize sword dance Dundee games August 1857′,’1st Prize sword dance St Andrews games August 1857’, ‘1st prize sword dance Forfar games August 1856’, together with the following loose medals, a white metal medal engraved ‘Birnam Highland Games 1st prize for marches & reels awarded to Duncan McDougall’, a white metal medal engraved with a figure of a piper to one side and to the obverse ‘Breadalbane Gathering 1894 first prize for reels and strathspeys presented by Miss Macpherson of Findnate won by John MacDougall’, A white metal medal engraved on one side ‘Athol gathering 1889’ and to the obverse ‘first prize for reels playing won by John McDougall’, a broken medal suspender missing awarded from the Perth Highland Society by W.J. Taylor, London, bearing the town badge on one side and engraved to the obverse ‘ First Prize to D McDougall for reel playing 26th Aug 1865, three loose prize bars engraved ‘1st prize marches & reels august 1865’, ‘1st prize marches & reels August 1866’, ‘1st prize marches & reels August 1869, 3rd for phiobroch’, a gilt metal medal engraved to one side ‘Glenfalloch Highland Games first prize marches & reels presented by the directors of the Glasgow Celtic Society’, and to the obverse ‘awarded Duncan McDougall 19th August 1870’, a gilt metal medal engraved ‘ Glenfalloch Games Pipee Competition 1873’, and to the obverse ‘to Duncan McDougal for marches & reels’, a gold medal Edinburgh 1872 by Robert & Henry Bruce Kirkwood with boar head to one side with motto ‘Follow Me’ and coronet above, the suspender formed as a sporran and dirks and basket hilted broadsword, the obverse with ‘Glenfalloch Highland Games Aug 1873’, and engraved to the centre ‘presented by Lady Breadalbane to Duncan McDougall for best performance of pheobrochs on the Great Highland Bagpipes’, a yellow metal gilt medal engraved to one side ‘Northern Meeting Champion Medal 1876’ and to the obverse ‘Presented By The Northern meeting to Duncan McDougall as best player of pheobrochs in competition of pipers who won Highland Society of London medal at Inverness Sep 1876’.
