Skirting around town

It's the sound of the pipes that you hear. The music brings to mind images of rolling Scottish hills and kilts. Shortbread and William Wa...

It8217;s the sound of the pipes that you hear. The music brings to mind images of rolling Scottish hills and kilts. Shortbread and William Wallace. And of course, the legends behind Nessie, the Loch Ness monster. The men behind the music are an unusual sight to behold. After all, in a city that thrives on bhangra and Daler Mehndi, the soft sounds of Scottish pipes seem out of place. So do the men, dressed in traditional Scottish costume with kilts and caps of ostrich feathers.

Donny Doyle, Donald John Mumnro and Calum Fraser were in town recently as a part of Party With The Pipers. A programme organised by Seagrams to promote their 100 Pipers Scotch. Doesn8217;t ring a bell? Think back to that Seagrams advertisement: If you taste a good Scotch whisky, you can hear a piper play. But it is only when you taste an exceptional Scotch whisky can you hear a 100 pipers play. But with Donny, Donald and Calum, you needn8217;t down pegs of exceptional Scotch whisky8217;. These are guys who have followed their calling.

As Calum says, 8220;The piping tradition is usually a family thing. Though these days it is getting more popular and if you want to play the pipes, you can.8221; So, following tradition and his father8217;s footsteps, who was a pipe major in the Army, Calum turned professional recently. 8220;Its good for me,8221; he says. 8220;I just get to do want to do and get paid for it too.8221; Donny, 31, was born in Islay and is considered a promising player. And it shows.

There8217;s nothing he8217;d love to do more than just play the pipes. Donald, on the other, 8220;the master in piping,8221; though born in Killin now lives in Iowa, US. There he works for the Scottish Organisation and has been intrumental in popularising the Highland Games. Huh, you say? The highland games are, according to Donald, a part of any Scottish festival. A tradition that has been followed for many years now. Bet you8217;re wondering what it is that attracts these guys to the pipes.

8220;The music makes us drink whisky and attracts women,8221; comes the answer courtesy Donny. The other two nod in unison. While piping comes naturally to them, don8217;t they feel wierd? Wearing kilts and walking into pubs to make music, we mean. Not at all. 8220;We get looks, but usually the response to our music has been enthusiastic. And often, we teach people Scottish dances or regale them with Scottish legends. It is fun,8221; says Calum.

The other two unanimously nod again. As the three pipers pose for photographs, Calum8217;s ostrich feather cap is missing. Must be a different kind of costume, we think. Well, not really. Here8217;s where Donny tells all: 8220;We were travelling in Chennai, going from place to place in our car. Somebody wanted to get in the back with us and in the confusion his ostrich feather cap fell off. So, right now, there8217;s a man walking around Chennai wearing a ostrich feather cap.quot; And if you8217;ve ever wondered if these guys feel cold in those kilts, worry not. 8220;Feel it. It8217;s made of wool. And it8217;s not normal to feel cold in it. Besides we have warm blankets too, as a part of the outfit.8221;

While they love everything about India, they were a bit taken aback when they 8220;saw guys holding hands. People are very friendly here, but we aren8217;t used to it,8221; says Donald.

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Calum, Donny and Donald, also believe that Highland music is still alive in Scotland. Maybe because of Mel Gibson and Braveheart. But alive it is. Oh, and Nessie, the Loch Ness monster is real. And nothing can shake Calum8217;s belief in her. 8220;I have seen her. Right under my bed. She8217;s not fake, Nessie8217;s very much alive.8221;