one drone; single chanter;1late 4th century?; pig piper

Tom Hughes, who introduced us to this carving says:

"It can be seen in situ as a skewput at 66 Queensberry Street, Dumfries. It is most likely late 14th century based on its style and the stone appearing to have come from the Castledykes quarry, which was the medieval quarry just at the edge of the town. There were few stone buildings in medieval Dumfries so from its date and location this carving was probably part of the New Wark, a tower built then with similar appearance to Threave Castle. Much of it was pulled down in 1764 and the rubble was left in a pile in what would become Queensberry Square, so that it could be used as a sort of quarry for the town. The remainder of the building was removed in 1846. It's on a late 19th century building though, so could have been taken at the later phase of demolition. The building alongside the present site of the pig piper was formerly a pub called the Foresters Arms, which in the early 20th century was locally known as the pig and bagpipes. The facade of the pub collapsed in the 1920s and so there's a small chance that the carving had been moved there before being rescued again, though it looks like it has been in its current location since that building was constructed."