Scottish Piper was started in 1999 with the intention of providing free bagpipe tuition to anybody that really wanted to learn, regardless of their financial background.

Since then the company has never looked back.

John and his pupils go busking regularly and present their own show in a variety of hotels across Scotland. All the money raised is banked and used to supply chanters, reeds, music and even bagpipes for the pupils. The school also has a good social life with regular days out, two weekly social nights in the kids houses plus at the end of the year the kids get a percentage of the money raised.

The school are also the proud owners of a top of the range Amplifier and laptop. (both battery operated)  John has put all the drum beatings the school uses onto the laptop as well as their own backing tracks for Amazing Grace, Highland Cathedral and other “show tunes”.  This has enabled Scottish Piper to have their own “unique sound” which has had audiences from around the world on their feet cheering the group’s performance.

When asked why he started the company John explained that he was invalided out of his work with chronic Pyoderma Gangrenosum and hospitalised for months at a time – “during that time the one thing I could still do was play my chanter so I decided that I would start teaching again but as I was not charging I would be able to pick and choose pupils and only teach those kids that really loved the pipes.

I didn’t and still don’t worry about the standard they can reach as long as they really love the instrument but I have to be honest and say that I’ve been very lucky as all the kids have turned out to be great pipers”.

“I would also like to thank the people of Edinburgh for all their support for our school”