Our History
Our History
Our Founders
We believe that music enriches the lives of all people.
We dedicate our thanks to our founders, in particular Sir Brian and Lady Oona Ivory, whose idea and vision The National Piping Centre is, who set up the charity, found the derelict church and manse, raised the £6,000,000 needed to renovate it, designed every aspect of the building, supervised the builders on a daily basis for 4 years, engaged the staff and who have dedicated the last 34 years to the establishment and the success of The National Piping Centre, all with no benefit to themselves. We and piping as a whole owe them an incalculable debt, one that is impossible to fully express.
They in turn are immensely grateful to His Majesty the King for accepting the role of Patron at a time when the charity was in its infancy and for giving so very generously of his time and energy throughout the last 25 years.
Our Patron: HM The King
We are honoured to have His Majesty King Charles III as our Patron.
His longstanding support for traditional arts and culture reflects a shared commitment to preserving and promoting Scotland’s rich musical heritage. His patronage is a valued endorsement of our work and an inspiration to all those we represent.
Our History
A History of The National Piping Centre
In 1986 Oona Ivory was driving the piper, Andrew MacNeil of Oronsay, to visit his wife in hospital, when the conversation turned to the future of piping.
From that conversation grew Oona’s determination that Scotland should have a centre of excellence for piping that would train teachers and also provide an exceptional and accessible education and performance environment for every aspiring piper, regardless of geography or background.
The realisation of that vision is now our home, The National Piping Centre.
Our History
The Business Model
With no revenue grants available the centre was always going to have to cover its own revenue costs.
A hybrid business model was developed whereby piping activities would be supported by the revenue from commercial operations including; a restaurant, 8-bedroom hotel, a retail business and an events business.
For 30 years this model has afforded The National Piping Centre the independence to choose its own future and still forms the backbone of our funding model to this day.
Our History
Incorporating The College Of Piping
Founded in 1944 on Otago Street, Glasgow by Seumas MacNeill and Tommy Pearston, the College of Piping had, for many years, been the focal point for piping tuition in Glasgow.
For over 70 years the College of Piping delivered piping tuition, collected and displayed important piping artefacts and released countless publications – many of which are still in print and some are among the most widely sold piping literature in the world – including the Piping Times, the monthly magazine that started in 1948 and quickly became the publication of record for the piping world for the next 70 years.
Between 1996 and 2017 the College of Piping and The National Piping Centre co-existed as separate entities. While some business operations were similar, the two organisations largely pursued different paths towards a shared goal to preserve the history and heritage of the Great Highland Bagpipe.
In 2018 the College of Piping was incorporated into The National Piping Centre. The site at Otago Street, synonymous with piping for almost 70 years, now serves as a vital second campus for the activities of The National Piping Centre including as the home of The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland.
