Doug MacRae is from London, Ontario, Canada, and has been piping since the age of eight.  His first teacher was John Cairns and he then moved to Archie Cairns for several years.  After which point he received tuition from Mike Cusack for four years.  Also of great influence on Doug’s playing is Pipe Major Bill Livingstone who Doug played under for 12 years.

He has experienced a successful competitive career as a consistent prize-winner through the ranks.  Some of his accomplishments
include the Pipers’ and Pipe Band Society of Ontario Champion Supreme Award for Junior Amateur Piobaireachd
and Senior Amateur Piobaireachd.  In 2004, Doug took first prize in Professional Piobaireachd at the North
American Championships.  Recently, Doug won the Piobaireachd Society (Canada) Gold Medal (2010) and the Kansas City Silver Medal (2011).  He spent 4 years in
Houston, Texas working as a director of the 5-time Juvenile World Champion, St. Thomas’ Episcopal School Pipe
Band.  One of those championships under his tutelage.

Doug is now Pipe Major of the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band and a certified adjudicator for the PPBSO.  He
lives in London and manages Scott’s Highland Services, a distributor of bagpipes, drums and other Scottish/Irish items.

Doug plays two main sets of pipes. He acquired a set of  Duncan MacDougalls from Jim Scott and played them for many years. They began to crack so when the were with Thomas Doucet being repaired, he borrowed a full silver mounted Strathmore bagpipe from Alec Patterson.  He liked them so much that he bought them. Here is the story in Doug’s words-

“It was while my pipes were with Thomas for repair that I sent a note to the band looking for a spare set to play in the off season. Alec Paterson agreed to lend me his set of full silver Strathmore pipes (a trusting man!). I took these home, tossed in the first set of reeds laying around (Ezee tenors, Rocket Bass), and was 100% sold on this particular set. It was clear there was something special to this particular set, which is why I refused to give them back to Alec. I eventually purchased the pipes from him and have been playing them primarily with the 78th. The MacDougall pipe is now being played in the off season and will likely see some more use in the future for some solo contests. In both sets of pipes, I play a rocket bass and Ezeedrone tenors. Solo reed of choice is currently G1 by John Elliott (Scotland) Naill Pipe Chanter I have just switched to the Gannaway bag for solos and the band.”

MacDougall bass drone

MacDougalls, full set

MacDougall outside tenor

Dn McDougall " stamped on the original chanter.

Strathmore silver mount, slide and ferrule

Strathmore Bass Ringcap

Strathmore - Full Pipe

Strathmore - Detail