Bagpipers for hire in Edinburgh, Midlothian

Hire a Bagpiper in Edinburgh

Edinburgh has one of the deepest pools of professional bagpipers anywhere in the UK. Many of the pipers listed here have military backgrounds, competition experience at Grade 1 level, or have performed at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Whether you need a piper for a wedding at one of the city's many historic venues, a funeral, a Burns Night supper or a corporate event, you will find highly experienced players available locally.

Edinburgh wedding pipers

Bagpipers are a particularly popular choice at Edinburgh weddings, where the combination of the city's historic venues and the sound of the pipes creates something genuinely memorable. Pipers typically play as guests gather outside the ceremony venue, as the couple emerge, and sometimes to pipe the wedding party to the top table. Edinburgh's castle, Old Town churches and country house hotels on the city's outskirts all provide striking backdrops for a piper in full highland dress. For a full Scottish wedding with an evening ceilidh, pairing a piper with a ceilidh band in Edinburgh is the traditional approach.

Funerals and memorial services in Edinburgh

The bagpipes are a longstanding tradition at Scottish funerals. A lone piper playing a lament as mourners arrive or as the coffin is carried in is one of the most moving sounds in any setting. Edinburgh's pipers are experienced at performing at the city's churches, crematoria and cemeteries, and many are available at short notice for families arranging a funeral within days.

Burns Night in Edinburgh

As the home city of Scotland's national poet, Edinburgh takes Burns Night seriously. The city hosts dozens of Burns suppers each January, from intimate pub gatherings to formal hotel dinners for hundreds of guests. A piper is central to the traditional format: piping guests in, accompanying the haggis to the table for the address, and often performing a short set during the evening. Bagpipers in Edinburgh are heavily booked around 25th January, so booking well in advance for Burns Night is strongly recommended.

What to expect on pricing

The average cost of a bagpiper in Edinburgh is currently £204, with prices ranging from £80 to £786. A standard performance is around 30 minutes. Edinburgh-based pipers generally have lower travel costs for city-centre venues, but charges may increase for venues further out. Competition-grade pipers and those with military or Tattoo credentials may command a premium.