Strathnaver Museum
Source: https://www.strathnavermuseum.org.uk/current-projects/pibrochs-and-poppies/william-duncan-mackay
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:22
Strathnaver Museum
William Duncan Mackay was born 1891 in Skerrabeg Tongue, the son of William and Betsy Mackay. In this family portrait William is standing in front of the door beside his father.
When war was declared William was working at the Castle Hotel in Kirkwall where he enlisted into the Territorial Army as a piper. William was sent to the band of the 8
th
Battalion Seaforth Highlanders who were stationed in Aldershot, Hampshire with the 44
th
Brigade, 15
th
(Scottish) Division preparing to embark to France.
William arrived in France on the 9
th
July 1915 where his Battalion were soon in the front line on trench holding duties, training for the first major offensive they would be involved in at the Battle of Loos.
On the 24
th
September the 8
th
Seaforths began to move into the front line trenches at 5:30pm where they took up position to launch their attack at dawn the following day.
At 5:50am Headquarters gave the order to begin releasing poison chlorine gas which was the first time Britain used such a weapon.
As German artillery began to fire and with shrapnel shells bursting above their heads the men climbed out on to the trench parapet. The pipers from the Battalion took up position and began to play as they led “A” Company toward the German lines.
The 8
th
Seaforths suffered heavy casualties from artillery fire as they took the first line trench and it was as William piped his Battalion through the gas in no-man’s land that he fell aged 24.
He was one of 5 pipers from the 8
th
Battalion killed that day while another 5 were wounded. One of the wounded was Donald Valentine who is pictured holding the pipes on the far left of the photograph of the 8
th
Battalion Pipe Band in 1914.
Read more about William and his fellow pipers in our 32-page booklet
Buy it now on
Our Publications
page
Pibrochs and Poppies Project
Facebook page
Pibrochs and Poppies Project
Twitter feed
Fèis air an Oir
Heritage Lottery Fund: then and now
Museums Galleries Scotland
Feis survey
William Duncan Mackay was born 1891 in Skerrabeg Tongue, the son of William and Betsy Mackay. In this family portrait William is standing in front of the door beside his father.
When war was declared William was working at the Castle Hotel in Kirkwall where he enlisted into the Territorial Army as a piper. William was sent to the band of the 8
th
Battalion Seaforth Highlanders who were stationed in Aldershot, Hampshire with the 44
th
Brigade, 15
th
(Scottish) Division preparing to embark to France.
William arrived in France on the 9
th
July 1915 where his Battalion were soon in the front line on trench holding duties, training for the first major offensive they would be involved in at the Battle of Loos.
On the 24
th
September the 8
th
Seaforths began to move into the front line trenches at 5:30pm where they took up position to launch their attack at dawn the following day.
At 5:50am Headquarters gave the order to begin releasing poison chlorine gas which was the first time Britain used such a weapon.
As German artillery began to fire and with shrapnel shells bursting above their heads the men climbed out on to the trench parapet. The pipers from the Battalion took up position and began to play as they led “A” Company toward the German lines.
The 8
th
Seaforths suffered heavy casualties from artillery fire as they took the first line trench and it was as William piped his Battalion through the gas in no-man’s land that he fell aged 24.
He was one of 5 pipers from the 8
th
Battalion killed that day while another 5 were wounded. One of the wounded was Donald Valentine who is pictured holding the pipes on the far left of the photograph of the 8
th
Battalion Pipe Band in 1914.
Read more about William and his fellow pipers in our 32-page booklet
Buy it now on
Our Publications
page
Pibrochs and Poppies Project
Facebook page
Pibrochs and Poppies Project
Twitter feed
Fèis air an Oir
Heritage Lottery Fund: then and now
Museums Galleries Scotland
Feis survey