We are an authentic Scottish family with the usual mix of ancestors, clans, histories and events that have made us the people we are.
Hope you enjoy meeting us and our story which includes Jacobites, the clearances, pipers, craftsmen and many more.
Like most Highland Families our origins are a mix of clans and places. We are lucky in that we can trace our family tree back to the 1640s. The Hays originate from Highland Aberdeenshire, Glenbucket and Tomintoul. The McDougalls were cleared from Strathglass to the west coast marginal land of Sloch, Ardnish, Arisiag.
That is where our piping tradition started in the 1870’s with Alexander (Sandy) McDougall. He later moved to Glen Tanar in 1903, where John McDougall Snr was born in 1907. John Snr was an accomplished piper and in 1936 his son, world champion piper John Alexander McDougall was born in Aberdeen.
This piping tradition continues on to this day through his daughter Fiona and grandson Scott.
Burgess Hay
Born: Lennoxtown, Scotland
As a child through work his family moved around, throughout Scotland and also periods in South Africa and Wales.
On leaving school in the Highlands of Scotland, Burgess served his time as an industrial manufacturing engineer. Over the years he developed his design and engineering skills. He managed and ran companies for their owners before branching out and starting his own precision engineering business.
In 2013 he decided it was time for a change and looked for new opportunities and thoughts turned to bagpipe making.
Burgess met Fiona at school but it was only later did they get together. This is where bagpipes came into his life. “You don’t just wake up one day and decide to become a bagpipe maker” he says
His expertise and design experience is key to the way the instruments have been designed and are manufactured. He takes the lead in turning a concepts into a working, sale able products and is passing on his skill and experience to son Scott.
Fiona Hay (nee McDougall)
Born: Aberdeen, Scotland
Pipes have always been in Fiona’s life, her late father was John McDougall the World Champion piper.
Fiona’s family settled in the Highlands of Scotland where she grew up near her extended family. As a child, summers were spent touring the Highland Games Circuit with her father and she also successfully competed in her teenage years.
Fiona said, “Dad always told me dedication and practice makes perfect!” After leaving school she went to college and then took a series of jobs before marrying Burgess.
Fiona is a well-known Celtic artist. She has had her work exhibited and sold around the world. Fiona’s Vellum collection of 14 uncut vellum’s, have been on display as part of the Celtic connections Festival in the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow for three years in a row.
Her artwork often features elements from both her love of music, as well as her love of wildlife and nature. She supports a number of aspects of the business and manages the family archive. She is keen to provide the opportunity for the archived material to be shared with the world.
Scott Burgess Hay
Born: Inverness, Scotland
Ever since he was a child, Scott has been surrounded by two things; bagpipes and people making things. Scott spent the majority of his childhood in Kincraig, living just next door to his grandparents.
Scott’s grandfather, John McDougall, shared his love of piping with his grandson, tutored him, and later inspired Scott to compete in solo competitions. During school holidays, Scott often went to work with his father, learning fundamental engineering and business skills along the way.
At 17, Scott went on the study Traditional Music with the University of the Highlands and Islands in the Outer Hebrides. While he was studying, he lived in Lochboisdale, South Uist. When he finished his studies, the family decided to come together, combine their skills, and created Burgess Bagpipes.
Today, as well as work with the family, Scott also tutors privately. His love of music has branched out into a wide variety of genres; however, traditional piping will always be special. He also shares his mother’s love of nature and wildlife. Scott is a passionate fly fisherman, tying his own flies and spending as much time as he can on the river targeting Salmon, or climbing to hill lochs for wild brown trout.