Gallus Glasgow N: the National Piping Centre

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National Piping Centre
National Piping Centre

The National Piping Centre serves as a national and international centre of excellence for the Great Highland Bagpipe and its music. The building was formerly Old Cowcaddens Church, built in 1872, and now comprises a school with rehearsal rooms, an auditorium, the Museum of Piping, a reference library, conference facilities, a hotel and a restaurant. Quite a place!

The photos below were taken on a visit to the museum and library a few years ago and feature my friend, James Beaton, the Piping Centre’s Librarian, playing his bagpipes.

Librarian, James Beaton
Detail
Museum

Tomorrow’s letter, O, is another musical venue.

A to Z Challenge 2015, Scotland, UK ,

35 Comments »

  1. There’s nothing like the sound of a bagpipe. We had a piper play at our wedding and at my husband’s funeral service. We used to go to all the Scottish festivals around just to hear them. We even tried learning to play them once, but sounded mostly like we were kicking geese. I still love to hear them, though now with a touch of sadness.

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  2. When I mentioned to my husband this was your choice for N he said straight off the bat’you can stay there’. Who knew ?! – clearly you did. Nice choice, Anabel.

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    • I remember getting a tour, including the hotel, when it first opened. Maybe it was Doors Open Day. Not been to that bit since, but I can highly recommend the restaurant.

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  4. Listening to a trio of a father and two sons playing bagpipes was one of the highlights of my Scotland visit. I am traveling to your part of the world very soon and I am excited to use my tartan shawl from Glasgow 🙂

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  5. I love that there is a bagpipe center, though I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s a beautiful building. I bet the acoustics are amazing!

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  12. In my head- there is nothing more Scottish than bagpipes ? – so of course there had to be a National piping centre:-) Great building:-)

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    • They are very typical – we hear them a lot, especially in summer when the championships are on. Some pipers practice on the playing fields St the end of our road.

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  13. I would like to visit that place. When my father died we were surprised to find someone who knew how to play the bagpipes at his funeral. One of the unexpected things to find while living in rural Montana here in the U.S. Sort of like the time I found out that some of descendants of Maria and Georg von Trapp, who inspired The Sound of Music, live in Kalispell, Montana just over the mountains from where we live. They are carrying on the singing family tradition.

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  15. Love bagpipes – this will have to go on my list!! My father played them and we frequently went to the world championships in Glasgow so this would be a great place to visit.

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