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A veterans funeral

A Highland Piper

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The sight and sound of a Highland Piper in full Highland dress can provide a poignant tribute for a loved one. A piper can be instructed to play at times chosen by you - perhaps one significant tune at a particular point.

What can a piper be used for?

A piper can be used to:

  • play as mourners gather

  • lead the cortege to the place of service

  • pipe in to the service

  • play a lament after the final words of committal

  • pipe after the service

What tunes can be played by a piper?

Our piper, Greg Waller can speak with you prior to a funeral service to discuss playing requirements in full. 

Generally, there are a few different types of tunes that you might consider:

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  • funeral laments or marches are quite solemn traditional tunes such as Flowers of the Forest; Sleep, Dearie, Sleep; Lochaber No More.

  • popular tunes that everyone would know whether they are from a Scottish background or not, such as Amazing Grace; Flower of Scotland; Going Home; Loch Lomond; Skye Boat Song; Mull of Kintyre; Danny Boy; Fields of Athenry.

  • traditional Highland / Gaelic tunes such as The Dark Island; The Mingaulay Boat Song; Soraidh Leis an Ait (Farewell to the Land of My Birth); My Home; The Mist Covered Mountains of Home.

  • popular Scottish songs such as The Rowan Tree; Auld Land Syne; The Bluebells of Scotland.

  • others / modern tunes such as Highland Cathedral; The Sands of Kuwait;

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There are many more tunes than these - if you listen online you may find others you prefer and you are welcome to request any tunes that are not listed here.

What is the cost of a Piper?

There are two different prices for a Piper, depending on what they wear:

 

  • £500 - to pipe while wearing Highland day dress of kilt with Argyll jacket and Glengarry bonnet.

  • £550 - to pipe while wearing full ceremonial Highland dress of kilt with horse hair sporran, doublet, full plaid and ostrich feather bonnet.

 

Fees are fully inclusive of all piping at as many locations as required and other costs such as travel.

Price correct on 27/04/2021. Price may be subject to change.

Greg Waller: Piping Biography

Greg Waller has been piping since the age of 12 and now pipes full time at a variety of events, including funeral services.

He has a choice of uniforms and different tartans available.

Greg has a Scottish background with his mother being a Gaelic speaker from the Isle of Skye and he has relatives in many parts of Scotland.

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His piping history is as follows:

 

  • 1979 - 1983: Birmingham Scottish Pipe Band

  • 1983 - 1987: Wolverhampton Pipe Band

  • 1987: Member of the Band when it won the Prix du Public at the Dijon Intenational Folk Festival

  • 1987 - 1989: Denny and Dunipace Pipe Band

  • 1987 - 1989: Piping in Grade Two and Grade One (the highest pipe band level) competitions with Denny and Dunipace while studying at Stirling University (there are no Grade One Pipe Bands in England). 

  • 1989: Denny and Dunipace Bandsman of the Year

  • 1989 - 1993: 42nd Highlanders Pipe Band

  • 1990: Lone Piper, Birmingham International Military Tattoo

  • 1998: Lone Piper, 10th anniversary memorial service for the Lockerbie disaster, Heathrow

  • 2014: Lone Piper, Haywards Heath First World War commemoration service

  • In addition, Greg Waller has piped for functions at Goldsmiths Hall, Sandhurst Military Academy and London Arena, Docklands

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