Pipe centre plan is first for the Highlands

The Highlands’ first bagpipe centre could be set up at Culloden if an online crowdfunding appeal to raise £45,000 hits the right note with the public.

Burgess Bagpipes which is behind the venture, hope to start building next May.

Set up in 2015, Burgess Bagpipes, is a family business who design and manufacture Scottish small pipes, Border pipes, and the Great Highland Bagpipe.

Burgess and Fiona Hay, who run the business with son Scott, are the only Highland bagpipe makers in the region, transforming blocks of African blackwood into high-quality instruments.

Burgess said: “Our family piping history dates back to the 1700s. The skill, knowledge and experience we’ve obtained comes from an accumulation of an authentic Scottish ancestral mix of world champion players, skilled engineers, artists, tutors and judges.

“The centre will be a place to learn about how bagpipes are made, what they sound like and how they are played. Visitors will have a fully immersive experience as we passionately share our history, tradition and culture”.

The True Sound of the Highlands campaign will allow phase one of the project, with manufacturing, piping archive, museum, exhibition and shop.

The crowdfunding campaign runs till December 14. For more information, visit the website www.crowdfunder.co.uk/highland-bagpipe-centre

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