Naturally when it comes to booking a piper there are plenty of questions you might want to ask. We should have covered all the common questions but if you can’t find the answer you are looking for then please do get in touch via the contact page.
Clients – (For customers looking to hire a bagpiper)
How much does a piper cost?
How long do I get the piper for?
How do I enquire about booking a piper?
Do you provide VIP pipers?
What do I do if I have an urgent request e.g. funeral taking place tomorrow?
How do I pay for the piper?
What duties will the piper perform?
Can he perform a particular tune?
What type of dress/kilt will he wear?
What regions do you cover?
How soon will I get an answer to my enquiry?
How many pipers do you have?
Can I book a mini or full pipe band?
Do you cater for seasonal or full-time time work e.g. hotels in the Summer?
What happens after you’ve submitted the booking form?
Who have your pipers played for?
How much experience do your pipers have?
Pipers – (For pipers looking to join the site)
How do I join your site?
How much does it cost to be listed?
Do you have a bagpipe forum?
Others
Do you offer bagpipe tuition?
Interviews with media and TV appearances
Where is my nearest pipe band?
Is your question not listed here?
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Clients
This is the most common question I get asked by just about everyone. The cost of a piper is dependant on a number of factors such as location, travel costs, the duties you want the piper to perform etc. Every event has different expectations and requirements from the piper so it would be unfair to charge two clients the same amount if the first client only wants the piper for an hour while the second client wants the piper for a full day. In order to find out the cost for your event you need to fill in the booking form and then I can get pipers to cost it up and get back to you.
How long do I get the piper for?
Playing time is entirely up to you the client and what you feel is appropriate for your event. This is something we will discuss when you submit the booking form to determine what you’d like from the piper.
How do I enquire about booking a piper?
Just fill in the simple booking form and I’ll get back to you via email to discuss your event.
Some events such as playing for the Queen require that very professional and sensitive approach that only a select few pipers command. We’ve had pipers play at some of the most exclusive events and so have the experience needed to cater for the most important clientèle. Our VIP pipers are booked up well in advance and are always in high demand so get in touch early.
You should now receive an automated email to let you know that your enquiry was sent successfully. Within 6 hours of receiving your request you will receive a response asking for the following details: Name & Phone Number, Venue Name & Location, Date & Time, List of duties expected of the piper and anything else which would be useful to the piper.
What do I do if I have an urgent request e.g. funeral taking place tomorrow?
Firstly, you need to fill in the funeral piper booking form. Be sure to include your telephone number so that if the funeral is taking place in the next few days I can contact you by telephone to speed things up. All emails are replied to promptly so I do encourage you to check your emails regularly for a reply.
I usually take a £50 non-refundable deposit and ask you to pay the remaining money to the piper on the day of the event.
What duties will the piper perform?
All our pipers perform at weddings and funerals on a regular basis so have a practised and polished routine which they perform. But, if you’d like your piper to do something specific or play a particular tune then please mention this on the booking form and the piper will be more than happy to oblige.
Can he perform a particular tune?
The majority of bagpipe tunes requested are standard in a pipers repository. But, if you require an unusual tune then please do request it and if the piper doesn’t know it they will more than likely be happy to learn it prior to your event given enough notice. Pipers do aim to cater for everyones taste and so are very accomodating to different tune requests.
What type of dress/kilt will he wear?
Bagpipers wear either standard or no.1 uniform (this includes the feather bonnet). Some pipers charge a small fee for wearing full no.1s as this takes longer to put on and is more expensive to buy. Don’t worry about which one to choose we will ask you this via email during the booking form and will provide you with pictures to see which you prefer.
We cover the whole of the UK and to some extent around the world aswell.
How soon will I get an answer to my enquiry?
All emails are responded to within one day although typically it’s usually a few hours until you receive a reply.
We are one of the UKs largest providers of bagpipers with over 500 pipers serving the UK. There is a constant stream of requests from pipers to get added to the site so this number grows daily.
Can I book a mini or full pipe band?
Yes. We do ask that you give us notice to arrange this as organising it at short notice can be tricky as bands often get booked up well in advance.
Do you cater for seasonal or full-time time work e.g. hotels in the Summer?
We get several requests for pipers to play at hotels in Scotland and London during the summer months. Just mention you would like the piper for an extended period of time in the booking form and arrangements can be made.
What happens after you’ve submitted the booking form?
Once we receive the booking form we check that you included the date, location and any other useful information in your request. If not, we’ll email you back to ask for these details so please make sure you’ve included as much information as possible. We then email all the pipers in your region to see who is available and get back to you with a price for your event.
Who have your pipers played for?
Our pipers have played for a wide variety of people including royalty, dignataries, celebrities, athletes, television (Sky, BBC etc) and media. There are few important people and places in the world where at least one of our pipers hasn’t played for.
How much experience do your pipers have?
Collectively our pipers have centuries of experience! Each piper typically has somewhere in the range of 10-20 years experience on average. There isn’t a single piper who hasn’t played at least 20 times previously at other weddings, funerals etc so you can be sure our pipers are well versed to put on a memorable performance for you.
Pipers
In order to join the site you need to be an experienced piper with plenty of events under your belt. If you think you fit this criteria then visit the contact page and send me an email with your details. Be sure to include a website if you have one and as much information about you as possible.
How much does it cost to be listed?
It’s completely free!
Yes, we have our very own bagpipe forum and we’d love you to be a part of it!
Others
This site doesn’t provide bagpipe tuition directly but we can put you in touch with either an individual or a pipe band who offers bagpipe tuition in your area so please do get in touch and we’ll be glad to help.
Interviews with media and TV appearances
We get lots of requests from reporters and TV shows asking for bagpipers to give interviews and make TV appearances. Please get in touch with us and clearly explain what you require and we’ll do our best to help. We do have over 500 pipers so there is always someone willing to appear on TV or give an interview!
Where is my nearest pipe band?
You need to get in touch with us and we’ll do our best to contact pipers and ask for recommendations in your local area for you.
Is your question not listed here?
If you have a question which hasn’t been answered then please get in touch via the contact page and I will answer it promptly!