Bannatyne and McLachlan merge to form one-stop company

Another new Highland bagpipe-maker has started to do business, but this time with a twist. B&M Pipebags & Bagpipes, located in Whitburn, Scotland, will make pipes, bags and reeds all under one roof.

Derek Marr, the pipe-major of the recently resurrected the Polkemmet Pipe Band, and Craig Bannatyne, the well known maker of pipe bags and moisture-control system, have partnered to create the new company, which already has eight full-time employees.

Marr previously worked with McLachlan Bagpipes, an organization that started in November 2005 from the assets of the defunct Pettigrew Bagpipe Makers.

The merger of McLachlan and Bannatyne was an easy decision, according to Marr.

“Craig and I have worked for a number of years in our respective facilities in Whitburn,” he said, “and it soon became obvious that merging both operations would create a single entity to serve the pipers of the world. Our goal at B&M Pipebags & Bagpipes is to strive towards perfection through continuous improvement and listening to the customers needs.”

Currently Marr is the only employee making pipes, while the other seven concentrate on manufacturing pipe bags and moisture-control systems.

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