Hello from Maine, Jack!

Not many harps over here either... I have evidence of a harper eloping to Canada with the French maid of one of his patrons,though it doesn't say if he brought his harp. Arthur Dobbs, a North Carolina landowner from Carrickfergus had a harper over here and both Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson apparently had Celtic style harps, but that's about it!

Regarding the pipes, I have a couple of suggestions. At least here in Maine, the native Scots who came were often prisoners of war and as such would probably not have been allowed to have their pipes. Many came after the '45 when the playing of pipes was "discouraged". In addition, the Scots influence generally in Maine (and New England) is Ulster Scots and Presbyterian. More lowland, I think and less highland.
There was an exodus of Scottish loyalists to Canada during the Revolution which could have cleared out the piping population as well.One does find historically pipes in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

There was a ship full of Highlanders who landed in 1809 the Thomaston arae, courtesy of general Kno. they are described as arriving "plaided and kilted" and "speaking their native Erse". They ended up removing to Nova Scotia as the folk around here didn't speak Gaelic.

There is also the weather factor-- dry cold winters and very hot summers are not kind to pipes (or harps)
Anyway, a few thoughts for the record

yours aye
Julia

BTW did you know that Andrew Carnegie emigrated to the New World in a ship built here in Damariscotta named the "Wiscasset"?