Features
June 24, 2025

StarBox: David Wilton lists Every. Single. Thing. in his pipe case

David Wilton leading the Grade 1 Police Scotland Fife at the band’s “Dancing on the Beat” concert in Aberdeen, May 2025.

David Wilton is the pipe-major of a Grade 1 band on a heater. Police Scotland Fife is fresh off winning the Lochore (Benarty) Highland Games, beating Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia and ScottishPower, and earlier in 2024 delivered a sold-out “Dancing on the Beat” (see what they did there?) concert in Aberdeen.

The band has been on the ascent for a few years now. Last year, they captured third place at the Scottish Championships, the drum section under Leading-Drummer Mick O’Neill won the British Championship, and the band enjoyed three fourth-place finishes at the World Championships, helping it to a sixth overall finish.

Not only is David Wilton the leader of one of the elite Grade 1 bands on earth, but he’s also won a lot of professional grade solo piping awards, seven World Highland Dancing Championships, and a staggering 192 wins at other championships over his competitive dancing career.

So, what does this multi-talented artist and leader stuff his pipe case with as he goes from Police Scotland Fife practices, to his full-time job teaching piping at the High School of Dundee, to easing on down the road to the next pipe band competition?

By popular demand from pipes|drums readers, we asked David Wilton to list everything in his pipe case. Here’s what he returned:

Fusion pipe case main case area:

  • Pre-World War I Lawrie bagpipes (exact age unknown), PlayGauls cane reeds, MW water trap, James Begg sheepskin bag
  • Laptop
  • Guinness bar towel
  • Fife Police sweat towel
  • Fife Police bag cover
  • Spare water trap tubing
  • Four cotton brushes
  • MacRae wooden practice chanter by McCallum Bagpipes
  • David Naill & Co. 1992 blackwood pipe chanter
  • Shepherd Classic Mk3 plastic pipe chanter
  • War-Mac Mk1 plastic chanter
  • Broadley’s blackwood pipe chanter
  • Three World Pipe Band Championship winner medals (spares) (High School of Dundee Pipe Band 2022)
  • Three spare Tone Protecter chanter caps
  • Tow Piper’s Pals by Kinnaird
  • One dry chanter cap

In the two internal pockets:

  • One set of Ezeedrone drone reeds
  • One set of Kelt black cane drone reeds
  • Four sets B-flat drone extenders
  • One MG White Mamba bass drone reed
  • Pair of glasses
  • Two RSPBA player registration release forms (names kept secret 😊)
  • Deburring tool kit
  • Two Ando Hiroshige Idea notebooks (empty)
  • PlayGauls bridles
  • A bag of castration rings (to threaten the pipe corps)
  • Four spare Boveda Humidity Moisture Packs
  • Three black cable ties
  • Various crit sheets/summaries
  • Dental bands
  • Yellow unwaxed hemp
  • Black cobbler’s wax
  • Black waxed hemp
  • Chanter tape
  • A pen
  • Five spare Ezeedrone reeds
  • Spare PlayGauls cane drone reeds
  • Foam earplugs
  • Tipex
  • Picture note from my daughter

In the front pockets:

  • Fife Police glengarry
  • Solo piping glengarry
  • Spare glengarry for kids band
  • More crit sheets
  • Grip patches
  • Spare drone stocks (RG Hardie modern)
  • Keys to my room at work
  • T-Zip lubricant
  • Laptop charger
  • More chanter tape

Our thanks to David Wilton for sharing his stuff with us.

Is there a piper or pipe band drummer you’d like to see share the contents of their case? Send us your suggestion!

 

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