Our Scottish Small Pipes are bellows blown pipes with a cylindrically-bored chanter and three drones in a common stock. The chanter is played with ‘highland’ fingering in ‘A’ with a flattened seventh.  A ‘D’ version is also available – with optional keys to access the high C #, E and F# - as well as an A/D combination set with four drones and interchangeable A and D chanters.

See also our practice/student set which is a mouth-blown version of the ‘D’ set with a single drone.

Gallery

Drones

The drones on the standard ‘A’ set are configured as bass/tenor/alto (Aae) but are also available as bass/tenor/tenor (Aaa). On the ‘D’ set they are configured Dda or Ddd. On the combination set they have a base ‘A’ and ‘D’, ‘a’ tenor ‘a’, and a tuneable tenor e/d.  Drones are stopped with either tapered plugs or slide pins.

Bellows

Bellows are available hand-stitched with purfling inlay or in a simpler nailed pattern in a variety of woods and sizes.

Bags

Bags are in stitched leather, dry suede side out for grip, and featuring an elegant swan-neck for stability and comfort, air tight with a lubricant inside to maintain subtleness. Bags are available in a choice of styles and sizes to suit the player. Colours black, brown and light-brown chosen to compliment the colour of the woods.

Reeds

The chanter reed is a brass staple with cane blades which gives the pipes their characteristic mellow tone. The drone reeds are brass bodied with a single plastic tongue.

Woods

The choice of woods affects the tone and character of the sound, and this is a matter of personal choice for the individual player. We make them in a wide variety of woods, including African woods; Blackwood, Mgurure, Mopane, Fruitwoods; Pear, Apple, Laburnum, Plum, Yew etc. The A set pictured above is in African Blackwood and Hawthorn detail. The combination A/D set above is in Yew and African Blackwood.

Style

We make pipes in a range of styles – some of which can be seen on the gallery pages – but are always happy to make instruments to our customer’s unique requirements.