curious Gordons piper

[OC Richard]

I just came across this photo on Ebay, I've not seen anything like it.



It's obviously a Gordon Highlander, as you can see from the collar badges and the crossbelt badge.

True that Gordons pipers seem to have more different sporran styles than any other regiment, but this is a new one to me.

I think the cantle has St Andrew with his cross.

Two possibilities come to mind

1) it's a Territorial or Volunteer Battalion. Sometimes these had different kit, in all or part.

2) it's a 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders piper from immediately after the 1881 amalgamation.

It was the uniform of the 2nd Battalion, the old 92nd Highlanders, which after 1881 was adopted for both Battalions.

The 1st Battalion was the old 75th Highlanders, who were de-kilted in 1809. Did they have pipers? If so, what did the pipers wear? I can't seem to find an image of the pipers of the Victorian-era 75th Highlanders.

It wouldn't surprise me if that was the sporran of the pre-1881 75th pipers, which got continued for a time after 1881.

It happened in the Argylls, where the old sporrans of the pipers of the 91st Highlanders continued to be worn for a time by the pipers of the 1st Battalion The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.

To compare, here's a photo of the pre-1881 92nd Highlanders piper uniform.