 Duncan Johnstone was born in Glasgow on 25th July 1925; the youngest of five children. His parents although living in Glasgow, hailed from the Outer Hebrides. His mother, Catherine MacMillan from Barra, and his father, Alexander Johnstone from Benbecula, greatly influernced his taste in music and through them, his love of the great Scottish West Coast music was born.
Duncan's father encouraged him at the early age of nine to take piping lessons at first from himself, then from Glasgow policeman Angus Campbell. As a result of their tuition and encouragement, he won his first competition in 1938.
As a member of the St. Francis Boys Guild Band, Duncan went on to begin an apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker within Glasgow's shipyards after leaving school.
During the Second World War Duncan joined the Royal Navy as part of the Submarine Surveillance Minesweeping Service and served the war years minesweeping in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. After the war, he continued his lessons with Angus Campbell and completed his apprenticeship. He later took further lessons with Donald MacLean from Oban and Roddy MacDonald from South Uist, and balanced his piping career with a job as foreman joiner with the Clan Line and Stephen shipyards.
In 1952 he married Isabella Macintyre from South Uist and together raised seven children. During the 1950's he was a piper for the City of Glasgow Corporation Transport Band, and later became their Pipe Major.
In 1964 the first Scottish Piper's Association Knockout competition took place. In the final was Duncan himself and close friend Pipe Major Donald MacLeod. Duncan won this contest, going on to win again in 1966. Recognised as a very fine player, Duncan's contribution to piping in the years to come would have a lasting effect on pipers young and old.
Duncan was first and foremost a musician, and this was clearly evident not only in his playing but also in his composing and teaching. His ability to teach world class performers such as Roddy MacLeod, while at the same time give novices just as much attention and enthusiam was well documented, not to mention his sense of humour.
In 1970 he began teaching in his home on the south side of Glasgow as well as being a principal instructor in the College of Piping between 1974 and 1978. In February 1978 , he opened his own Piping School in Robertson Street Glasgow. He thoroughly enjoyed his position as full-time piping instructor and was popular with numerous summer schools in North America. He became the first instructor at Feis Barra in 1980.
Duncan was a prolific composer of bagpipe music (and the saying that he had a couple of jigs for breakfast was not far from the truth) In his lifetime Duncan composed over sixty tunes including Farewell to Nigg, The Isle of Barra March, The Streaker, James McLellan's Favourite and The Lament For Alan My Son.
In 1996 Duncan was awarded the Balvenie Medal by Messrs William Grant & Sons as recognition of his lifetime commitment to piping.
On 14th November 1999 Duncan sadly passed away...
This biography of Duncan Johnstone was taken from the sleevenotes of the CD Bows and Drones
Duncan Johnstone's book of compositions "His Complete Compositions" is available at Foot Stompin' Celtic Music | 
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