Dougie Pincock

Dougie Pincock started his musical career as a Highland piper at primary school in Barrhead, near Glasgow, in 1970. After a moderately successful career in juvenile solo piping competitions, and a spell with the Neilston and District Pipe Band, he became a member of the Glasgow folk group Kentigern. By this time Dougie was playing Scottish small pipes and whistle, and Kentigern recorded an album for Topic Records. The producer of that album was Robin Morton, the manager of Battlefield Band, and when they needed a replacement piper in 1983, Dougie was recruited.

He played Highland and small pipes, whistle, flute, saxophone and percussion in Battlefield Band during the 1980s, appearing on three studio albums and one live one, and touring throughout Europe, North America and Australasia. 

He left in 1990, and spent the 1990s teaching in various settings including Fèisean, the Easterhouse Arts Project, the newly opened Piping Centre, and the first degree course in Scottish music at the (then) R.S.A.M.D.  

His playing career continued in the ceilidh band Robbie Shepherd’s Nightmare, and as a session musician on some 60 albums. He released one solo album and a book of newly composed pipe tunes, and was involved in a number of broadcasting projects, including a regular spot on BBC Radio Scotland’s Travelling Folk.

In 2000, he was appointed as the first Director of the National Centre of Excellence In Traditional Music at Plockton High School. He retired from that post in July 2023 and now combines freelance performing, teaching and recording with being a Papa.

He is a member of the Inn Crowd Trio and The Incredible Fling Band. In August 2025 he released his first solo recording in 31 years, a four-track EP on Bandcamp called “Back In The Game,” available at https://dougiepincock.bandcamp.com/album/back-in-the-game