Tartan week in NYC

[OC Richard]

The 2007 World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow had rain all day, and pretty much all the bands were wearing "rain capes".

For the 5 minutes of actually competing many of the bands would take off their capes. Others would leave them on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IaT9Rl1i5Y

Here's Grade One Field Marshal Montgomery celebrating at the close of the day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S93xByN7uzI

"Form follows function" so they say, and it's interesting that Highland Wear and Western Wear have come to more or less the same solution for rain.

What's nice about the Scottish "rain cape" for piping is that there are no sleeves, and the arm-hole is big, so you can put the pipe's bag up in your armpit and play as you would normally. The big cape keeps the pipes fairly dry when you're carrying them.

What Highland Dress gets wrong is the hat! Bonnets are brimless and rain starts pouring down your neck into the cape. I've found for rain the ideal combination is a sturdy thick felt cowboy hat, Scottish "rain cape", and waterproof cowboy boots. You simply don't get wet.