He might not have walked away with a deal after piping his way into Dragon’s Den, but a young entrepreneur could still be sitting on a fortune.

Piper and student Robbie MacIsaac impressed the line up of tycoons on the BBC show this week and Deborah Meaden and Sara Davies even had a go themselves getting a note out of the pipes.

However, after his slick pitch for investment for his revolutionary piece of kit, the inventor was told by dragon and founder of Social Chain Steven Bartlett that he seemed to be doing well without their help and wondered what he really needed a dragon for.

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Mr MacIsaac, 22, has his sights set on the ‘untapped’ global market for Scotland’s national instrument after receiving a wave of overseas orders for his device.

He is in his final year on the University of Strathclyde’s BEng Product Design Engineering course, and pioneered the FLUX Blowpipe when he was just 14-years-old, a device which ultimately could prevent respiratory issues for bagpipers.

The Herald: Piper Robbie MacIsaac with his inventionPiper Robbie MacIsaac with his invention (Image: Jeff Holmes/Story Shop)

Since leaving school he’s gone on to grow Flux Solutions to become a business that has generated over £85,000, with increased interest and custom from the US, Canada, France, Germany, Australia and New Zealand complementing sales in the UK.

It could potentially reach 140,000 competitive pipers across the world, a point which dragon and tycoon Peter Jones was quick to pick up on.

Jones said: “If you were to sell to everyone what would that generate in sales for you?” With Mr MacIsaac’s answer: “Roughly over £12million.”

The piper believes the international interest in his high-tech kit shows an appetite for bagpipes and innovation in the sector beyond Scotland’s borders.

He added: “We have sold over 500 FLUX Blowpipes, and had inquiries coming in from across the world.

“Although at the moment our biggest market is in Scotland and the UK, the business we’ve received from abroad is a reminder that throughout their long history, bagpipes have travelled to every corner of the globe.

“There are over 140,000 competitive bagpipers worldwide, with research suggesting the greatest portion is in North America alone.

“There were 146 bands taking part at last year’s World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, coming from the likes of Argentina, Austria, Australia and Israel to compete.

“When you also take into consideration the number of people who play the pipes on a non-competitive basis - at weddings or parades in particular - the opportunity for the Scottish bagpipe sector to succeed overseas is huge, and an opportunity I think is still largely untapped.”

The Herald: Piper Robbie MacIsaac makes a dramatic entrance in the Dragons' DenPiper Robbie MacIsaac makes a dramatic entrance in the Dragons' Den (Image: BBC)

The revolutionary invention, which can be used universally with any bagpipe, has been engineered to remove moisture from the instrument by combining the use of temperature, pressure difference and a special absorbent. However, it could also help a little-known condition called Piper’s Lung.

The blowpipe prolongs the lifespan of the bagpipes by preventing a build-up of moisture from damaging them, without having any detrimental effect on the sound quality or airflow. While the piece of kit could last a lifetime, there are pads which would need to be bought every couple of months generating repeat business.

The device could reduce the risk of Piper’s Lung disease, also known as Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis, caused when the lungs are exposed to moisture and fungi living in the instrument, which in rare but recorded cases can lead to death.

Mr MacIsaac, from Falkirk and was educated at Strathallan School in Perth, feels that despite bagpipes retaining traditions over the course of centuries, history doesn’t hinder any future innovation.

The Herald: Robbie MacIsaac makes pitch in the denRobbie MacIsaac makes pitch in the den (Image: BBC)

The young businessman, who pipes competitively himself and has won several awards, occasionally plays a set of 112-year-old bagpipes that require regular maintenance to keep in tune, an often-onerous process he believes could be improved with the right technology.

In 2022, he released the latest of his inventions, the FLUX Bagpipe Humidity Case, which stores instruments at a constant humidity to increase the health and enrich the tone of the instrument, while also being protective and transportable.

“I first started playing the bagpipes when I was nine years old and learned through school,” he said. “I ended up playing competitively and was honoured to be chosen to close out the main stage after the Red Hot Chilli Peppers at T in the Park in 2016, which turned out to be the last ever festival.

“At school, I developed an interest in engineering where I won some credibility and recognition through various competitions, and ever since I’ve been trying to combine my experience and skills with my passion for the bagpipes.

“Although bagpipes have existed for hundreds of years, there’s always room for improvement, to ultimately make the instrument more accessible, easier to manage and appealing to play.

“I’m constantly pushing to invent new products that challenge the ordinary, and bring them to the bagpipe community.”

The Herald: Robbie MacIsaac's device could help Piper's Lung diseaseRobbie MacIsaac's device could help Piper's Lung disease (Image: Jeff Holmes/Story Shop)

The student works closely with the renowned McCallum Bagpipes business, who manufacture Highland Bagpipes in their factory in Kilmarnock before many of their instruments are then shipped across the world. They also manufacture FLUX Solutions products - including the Blowpipe - and say new technology is always welcomed within the sector.

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Kenny MacLeod, managing sales director and co-founder of McCallum Bagpipes, commented: “Robbie has identified a problem that we’ve had for decades with regard to moisture entering the pipe bag and making the instrument unstable. He has invented a blowpipe which stops the majority of the moisture getting into the bag, a huge benefit to pipers worldwide.

“Bagpipes are crying out to be updated and modernised with some new innovations. The bagpipes have a sound that can really touch your inner soul, but we need inventors like Robbie to make getting that sound easier and more efficient.

“Highland Bagpipes are a truly global instrument, you can find bagpipes being played in a lot of countries and continents, they all have varied climates, so it makes the Flux Blowpipe a must for the bagpipe community.

“Robbie’s enthusiasm for the project is also inspiring and great to see, at his young age the future is looking very bright for him. He’s also a super nice and friendly guy as well, an important asset in today’s business environment.”

Mr MacIsaac gained essential guidance and funding from the RBS Accelerator programme and the University of Strathclyde Entrepreneurial Development Scheme. 

Through the Accelerator programme, Robbie won a “Dragons’ Den” style pitching competition which helped him secure a £7.3k grant which allowed him to get his business to market.  

Alan Feighery, Start-up Manager at the University of Strathclyde, said: “Robbie’s passion and energy is second to none. The way in which he has balanced being an early stage entrepreneur, while being an undergraduate student working towards completing his Engineering degree is extremely impressive.

“Robbie is a great example of a young man who has embraced challenges and pushed forward in securing his future. He’s received multiple awards for his business which has helped Robbie secure funding to enable the development and launch of his business. To have developed a product, launched a business and to be selling internationally all while still studying for an engineering degree is the very definition of inspiring."