Scotlandsmusic

Hector MacAndrew (1903 - 1980) from Aberdeenshire, was born in the grounds of Fyvie castle where his father Peter was employed as head gardener and piper to Lord Leith. Peter MacAndrew was also an able fiddle player who was taught by James McIntosh, a pupil of Niel Gow. Francis Collinson in Traditional and National Music of Scotland credits Hector MacAndrew as “the best exponent of the Gow tradition in his time”. The playing of Hector MacAndrew gave breadth and expression to the dotted rhythms which characterise strathspeys by using the driven bow.