The National Piping Centre’s (NPC) crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to have its two magazines, the Piping Times and Piping Today, digitised professionally has been exceeded. The campaign target will now be expanded to £33,500 after £31,000 was raised in just two weeks.

Most piping organisations have contributed to the project as well as hundreds of individuals around the world. Some have made large donations anonymously.

The campaign was launched on May 4 to raise funds for protecting the legacy of the Piping Times and Piping Today periodicals. Reaching the renewed target now allows the NPC to have The International Piper magazine digitised.

The International Piper ran from 1978-1981 and was published and edited by Captain John A. MacLellan MBE and his wife, Christine. It contained news, articles and comment, including columns detailing the activities of the Scottish Piping Society of London, and Tom Speirs’ reports on the old Eagle Pipers’ Society. It ceased publication because of the poor health of the editors.

The National Piping Centre’s Director of Piping, Finlay MacDonald, said: “We are delighted to have raised more than £31,000, smashing our initial target of £28,500, in just two weeks. The generosity of the crowdfunder supporters will now allow us to digitise the Piping Times and Piping Today periodicals, as well as produce a new annual Piping Times title.

“We would love to reach our new target of £33,500 to allow us to digitise The International Piper alongside the two other periodicals. Being able to put this publication online would be so important to protecting its legacy and letting pipers across the world read its humorous and informative pieces. Our thanks go to Colin MacLellan for allowing us to bring his parents’ magazine into this exciting project.”

The two-strand project involves the digitisation of the archive of the three magazines – a resource that will be free to access online – as well as the production of annual publication that carries the Piping Times title. This will be a substantial publication and readers will be able to pre-order copies soon.

Publication of the Piping Times Annual is earmarked for around late November, in time for Christmas. It is planned that it will be added to the digital archive each year.

The Crowdfunder remains live until the end of this month (May 31). Donations can be made directly by clicking here.

In addition to the various rewards (listed as a supporter, physical copy of Piping Times Annual, a ticket to the launch event, and a Piping Live! Online Pass), compositions can be commissioned by one of the National Piping Centre’s teachers.

In spring 2020, the NPC was forced to cease publication of the Piping Times and Piping Today due to the financial challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.