Bannatyne expands bagpipe and drumming sides of business

Bannatyne Ltd. of Scotland is actively searching for an experienced bagpipe turner after its pipe-making business has taken off. The company has also announced that is now the “Marching Partner Centre” for Scotland for Premier Drums.

Bannatyne Sales & Marketing Manager Gary Nimmo added that his company is planning to move to premises “three-times the size” of its present location in  Whitburn, West Lothian, “to cope with the demand the demand for our products.”

Bannatyne is best known for its pipe bags, and was one of the first to develop a synthetic bag bonded to a natural exterior and with an airtight zipper. The company has more recently moved into the pipe-making business, creating several models of pipes and chanters.

The company will bring in the full range of Premier percussion products for sale at either its retails store or online.

“We will also be pro-actively supporting other retailers by offering very competitive trade prices and swift delivery from our own inventory, as well as built-to-order drums from the Premier factory,” Nimmo said. He added that Fife Constabulary Leading-Drummer Mick O’Neill has come on board as a “drum specialist and advisor.”

Bannatyne for the time being is planning to keep manufacturing bagpipes using traditional hand-made methods. “Although a lot of the industry is now turning to CNC machining to keep costs down, we believe that there is most certainly a market still there for quality hand-crafted bagpipes and our new premises would reflect this.”

“We recently opened up a small shop at our factory that in only eight weeks has been packed to the rafters with stock and we are now looking at a showroom with enough space to properly display products, have space to offer workshops, demonstrations, visits and educational tours, and an integral part of any bagpipe company is having a master craftsman on-site,” Nimmo said.

Interested experienced bagpipe-makers are invited to inquire about the position, he said.