Ian McKerral

I have been using the WMC hide pipe bag with MCS since 2013. It has a great solid feel under the arm and the MCS has been well constructed and works efficiently.

Being a bagpipe instructor I feel that it is very important that the students develop the correct posture when playing. This is where the Bannatyne range of bag size is a winner for me. The blowpipe and drone stocks are perfectly positioned and the added bonus of a swan neck for the chanter stock means a comfortable bag for all ages. This is why all my pupils at Kintyre Schools play Bannatyne pipe bags and MCS.

Only one drawback, I never got them sooner.

Born and brought up in Campbeltown, Iain McKerral was taught to play the pipes by Peter McCallum and then Tony Wilson, and was a successful competitor in the junior ranks. He played for some time with the Babcock Renfrew Pipe Band.

He was a member of Campbeltown Pipe Band when it played on the “Mull of Kintyre” single with Paul McCartney.

Since around 2000, he has been involved in teaching piping in the Schools in Kintyre, and is currently Schools’ Piping Tutor in South Kintyre. He is the Pipe Major of Kintyre Schools Pipe Band, and has competed successfully with this band at Novice Juvenile and Juvenile level.

Within five years of forming the band, the band won the World Championship at Novice Juvenile level and went on to repeat this feat a couple of years later with an entirely different group of youngsters, as well as winning every championship available. These youngsters have benefitted from Ian’s great knowledge and experience and infectious sense of humour. This is the perfect combination for the job he does. Many f his pupils have gone on to play in Grade 1 Pipe Bands and win solo prizes in the Professional Grades.

Ian was awarded the honour of Scottish Instrumental Teacher of the Year in 2008, and was awarded the Balvenie Medal for Services to Piping in 2013. It is a testament to Ian’s modesty that he was the last person to think he would win the awards, although everyone who knows him knew it was long overdue.