Scottish bagpipe makers have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £45,000 with the aim to create the first Highland Bagpipe Centre in the Highlands of Scotland. A suitable site has been identified at Culloden, less than 10 minutes from Inverness city centre, set to open May 2019. It is the latest in a number of successful crowd funded ventures in the Highlands, where the likes of Glen Wyvis Distillery, Prickly Thistle, and Macgregor’s Bars have raised money via this route.
Set up in 2015, Burgess Bagpipes, is a modern Scottish family business who design and manufacture Scottish Small Pipes, Border Pipes, and the Highland Bagpipes. Burgess, Fiona and Scott Hay, who run the business are the only Highland bagpipe makers in the region and offer a guaranteed “Made in Scotland” label. The bagpipe-making process transforms blocks of African blackwood into high-quality instruments with a great deal of craftsmanship involved.
Mr Hay said “Obviously you don’t wake up one day and decide to become a Bagpipe maker. 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”.
“It is usually a surprise when we tell people that there are three different types of Scottish Bagpipe used in Scotland today. They are amazed at how differently they look and sound. We would like everyone that leaves the future Highland Bagpipe Centre to be informed and inspired. It’ll 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”.
Jo Robinson, Visit Scotland Regional Director, showed support for the upcoming project stating “The Highland Bagpipe Centre is a fantastic example of how Scottish culture and heritage can be packaged to offer a unique product that matches consumer demand.”
“The centre would provide exactly the kind of high quality, authentic experience outlined in the national tourism strategy which lays out Scotland’s collective ambition to be recognised as a destination of first choice. Visit Scotland welcomes the development of the Highland Bagpipe Centre and will commit to working closely with Burgess Bagpipes”.
The ‘True Sound of the Highlands’ campaign will allow Burgess Bagpipes to begin phase one of the project, where the site at Culloden will be transformed into a bagpipe centre with manufacturing and visitor experience including piping archive, museum, exhibition and shop.
The campaign launched on the 23rd November 2018. Backers can choose different levels of support and as a result will receive rewards tailored to pipers and non pipers alike. There’s significant discount off instruments, tuition, merchandise, whisky and more. These are a thank you for the support and most are unique and will only be available for the duration of the campaign.
You can support their current crowdfunding campaign on CrowdFunder site www.crowdfunder.co.uk/highland-bagpipe-centre
For more information on Burgess Bagpipes you can read more at www.burgessbagpipes.com for more information.
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