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CUILLINN CRAFT carries only the finest Scottish-made bagpipes available today. Unlike many pipe dealers, we only carry a few makers - Ian Murray of Forfar, rooted in the MacDougall and Thow traditions, Inveran Bagpipe Makers, a pipe maker that has its roots in William Sinclair and Peter Henderson. We are in the process of adding Dunbar Bagpipe Makers and Tim Gellaitry, pipe maker, to our line; new pages will be up later this year.

SHARP & CO. of Glasgow produces three lines of highland pipes- Kintail, J&R Glen, and David Glen, and Drumran smallpipes. Their lineage goes back to Donald MacDonald, who established his shop in 1798 in Edinburgh, through several generations of the Glen families, and continuing their tradition and that of Peter Henderson today.

Kintail bagpipes, based on the 1888 Henderson model, are known as the backbone of pipe bands across the world. J&R Glen pipes, based on the 1848 model of Thomas Glen, are known for their sweetness and 'spherical' tone that envelops the listener. David Glen pipes, made from the 1798 Donald MacDonald model, are the oldest continued bagpipe manufactured today, dating from the 1827 Glen shop.

Unfortunately Sharp & Co. will be ceasing operations later in 2008, so please contact us before making an order to see if it can still be obtained.

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INVERAN BAGPIPE MAKERS of now of Newhall, Fife, has a tradition dating to 1945, when Jimmy Tweedie went to work for William Sinclair; in the 1960s he established his shop on Dean Street in Edinburgh after a long career with both Sinclair and Macpherson Bagpipes. In 1977 the firm relocated to Loanhead, south of the city and right of the ring road, where they remained until 2003. In 1986 Jimmy retired, leaving the firm in the capable hands of Craig Scott; the firm is now run by two ex-Scots Guardsmen - Donald MacFarlane and Pipe Major Brian Donaldson.

Inveran bagpipes, based on the Sinclair model, are carefully crafted with exquisite detail. Not a large pipe maker, Inveran painstakingly creates fine pipes for the most discerning player; perfection is the only adjective used for their craftsmanship. In consideration of the TIME required to make pipes of this professional calibre, a minimum of several months is needed for any order.

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IAN MURRAY of Forfar, Angus, Scotland, can trace his bagpipe making lineage to William Thow of Dundee and Duncan MacDougal of Aberfeldy. A bagpipe maker for over twenty years, he opened his own shop in 1999. Murray pipes are known for their meticulous attention to detail and perfection in all-hand craftsmanship. They are a truly beautiful bagpipe, with a hand-rubbed finish, and posess magnificent tone.

REMEMBER: All Sharp & Co. and Ian Murray bagpipes sold by Cuillinn Craft come with a BLACKWOOD pipe chanter (Inveran pipes have a poly chanter), case, Ross sealed, Gannaway, or L&M elk bag, seasoning if needed, WYGENT SYNTHE-DRONE reeds, bore brushes, BORE DOCTOR bore oil, chanter tape, RENAISSANCE WAX, MOUTHPIECE PROTECTORS, two kinds of waxed hemp, Ringo Bowen's Maintenance Book, VELVET COVER & SILK CORDS.

NO OTHER DEALER OFFERS THIS ACCESSORY PACKAGE AS STANDARD. EVERYONE ELSE ADDS THESE ITEMS ON WHEN YOU ORDER THEM OR OMITS THEM ENTIRELY. WE INCLUDE THESE ESSENTIALS WITH YOUR PIPES BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU'LL NEED THEM.

A note on the background picture: William Ross, piper to Queen Victoria from 1856-1891, replaced Angus MacKay as Queen's Piper after MacKay went insane (possibly due to drink); Ross formed a partnership with Henry Starck, a German flute and oboe maker, and 'Ross Bagpipes' were made in London from the early 1870s until Ross' death in 1891. Starck then moved to Dublin, where he invented the Brian Boru chanter for the Irish Warpipe, among other things. He remained active as an instrument maker until his death in the 1920s, when his sons moved the firm back to England, where they continued to make excellent bagpipes until their demise in the 1940s; the name was taken over by Boosey and Hawkes, and pipe manufacture was discontinued.

Note the full silver mountings on the stocks; the cairngorm buttons, the silver brassard on the right arm, and the bullion embroidered pipe banner, similar to the one carried today by the current Queen's Piper