Learning to Play the Bagpipes

Posted by David Whitley Sep 26, 2007

Lonely Planet to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

Sometime guidebooks can let you down horribly. Whilst concentrating on churches, fascinating architecture and a good range of accommodation and restaurants, they often miss out something that is truly unique and highly entertaining. Why, for example, is the marzipan museum in Tallinn, Estonia not mentioned in my Lonely Planet guide to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania?

National Piping Centre in Glasgow, Scotland

The same applies to the National Piping Centre in Glasgow, Scotland. My guidebook didn’t mention it, and the only reason I knew about its existence was by looking at some promotional literature from the local tourist board. And guess what… alongside a museum tracing the history of bagpiping, it also offers to help visitors learn how to play the bagpipes!

Book in advance

Unfortunately, these bagpiping lessons need to be booked in advance by at least a week. Rocking up on the day, like I did, will elicit no joy whatsoever. I was, naturally, devastated… it would have been a great anecdote if nothing else.