Harry Payne’s painting of the three categories of musician in the Cameron Highlanders shows the difference in the uniform. The drummer wears a scarlet doublet decorated with white lace that has red crowns repeated along its length. His feather bonnet is a wire frame covered with black ostrich feathers and four ‘foxtails’ hanging on the right side. A white hackle is on the left side with a badge at the base on a knitted red white and green checked head-band.
He has a white leather drum carriage which has a brass buckle and slide to adjust its length The drum is painted with regimental regalia and battle honours, and a drum cover rolled and strapped to the lower hoop. He holds it so that we can see the white plaited cords and the stiff wires stretched across the base of the drum to give it resonance. He does not have a sporran as this would get in the way of the drum. He has a bugle which hangs on his right hip, suspended from a cord in the royal colours, and decorated with tassels.
The bandsman in the centre has a less well decorated scarlet doublet, but has blue wings stripped with white tape. He also has a feather bonnet with white hackle, and has a shoulder plaid worn across his chest as a scarf. His waist-belt is black but he has a white belt on his right shoulder to support a wind instrument while it is being played. He has two good conduct stripes on his left forearm which are shown as gold but would normally be white.
