Norman MacKinnon MacLean was born in the Tradeston area of Glasgow on Boxing Day in 1936 to Neil MacLean (a merchant seaman and a native of Tiree) and Margaret (Peigi) MacKinnon (from North Uist), but due to the time of year his birth wasn’t registered until early January, 1937. He […]
Place is important in music, and understanding the place that one is from, bides in, or looks to for inspiration, is a central part of traditional music in particular. It is with this in mind that I am going to ask for your help. But first, bear with me while […]
On Monday we kicked off the first of an occasional series on the stories behind some of our more famous tunes. There’s been a great response to this, with suggestions of further tunes to look at. Today, we kick off what will be another occasional series, that of famous pipers. […]
A tribute to Dr Kenneth MacKay will be held this Saturday (21st) in the highland village where he lived and worked for many years. Dr Kenneth MacKay was an important piping figure during the post-War years. Born in Ross-shire at the turn of the 20th century he lived and worked […]
The National Piping Centre’s museum has reopened after months of refurbishment. The museum, located in the MacPhater Street building, holds 300 years of piping heritage with items laid out in a logical, themed way. Many new items have been added, including some personal items that were previously housed in the […]
The bagpipe tutor book that started thousands of pipers off on their quest to learn how to play the pipes has been rebranded ahead of another print run. The new-look for what was previously titled the College of Piping Tutor Vol. 1 – the ‘Green Book’ – brings it into […]
