General

A really good bellows is essential for getting the best music out of your instrument.   Although they’re often overlooked, they’re a very important part of a set of pipes.   They must fit you properly, be comfortable to wear and easy to adjust.   They should also have really good performance in terms of air capacity and airtightness.

Standard or Custom Bellows

Standard bellows are supplied with all my standard sets.   They can be customised using different woods, metals and mounts to match a custom set of pipes.   They can also be customised by applying engraved decoration to metalwork or decorative inlay to the cheeks, or can be supplied separately to go with your existing set.    .

Standard Bellows

I've been making this bellows design now since the 1980s with continual refinements.   They provide really generous air capacity, whilst still being neatly sized to fit comfortably under your arm, and they're completely airtight (without ever the need for any dressing), so you can fill the bag in three really easy strokes, and maintain an easy natural bellows rhythm.   The less effort it takes to keep the pipes going, the easier it is to play.

The cheeks are veneered with yew, a beautiful homegrown native wood that matures to a rich warm colour.   The sides are made of quality hide, completely airtight yet really soft, so they close nice and flat, giving you maximum air from each stroke.   Metalwork is in brass, as are the buckle and fittings on the stout handmade belt.

The simple ergonomic design of these bellows means that as well as being highly efficient, they're also really comfortable to use, with no awkward hooks, buckles or bulky fittings.   I custom make all my belts and blowpipes to suit each customer's individual measurements, with plenty of allowance for adjustment.   On the Lochaber SSP sets, the leather blowpipe is neatly finished with a handsome turk's head knot.   The elbow strap is robust but simple, much easier to fasten and unfasten than a buckle or clip, and it's easily adjustable for when you're wearing different thicknesses of clothes.   It's held comfortably in place by the decorative brass cleat on the front face of the bellows, so your clothing doesn't block the air inlet.   A brass keeper is fitted on the clack valve to ensure a quick and responsive closing action so that no air is wasted.