Roddy was assigned to it.

The idea was to have Roddy teaching Dermot ………….. to play the bagpipes.  

This is maybe not quite as easy as the production assistants believed, so it was decided a duet with Roddy and Dermot welcoming the judges to their Edinburgh audition would work best!  

You can see more from XFACTOR in the autumn.

You can see more of roddythepiper any time you like.

If you are looking for a fun bagpipe class for a group, then check out our video.

If you want to try some of the other classic Scottish activities, then check out our Highland games video.

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The island is run by Historic Scotland;  there is great cultural heritage on the island, along with fantastic colonies of seals and seabirds, including puffins if the time of year is right.

If you are looking for something quite rustic on a deserted island, and not more than an hour from Edinburgh by boat, then this is worth a peek.  See the website for more details.

To get there, the best idea is to speak to the wonderful crew of the Maid of the Forth.  They have a boat well equipped to carry wedding guests – it even has a bar.  There are possibilities to hire the boat exclusively and take food and drink over to the island for a reception after the ceremony.  Oh, did I mention there is a historic abbey for all of your proceedings to take place in, (also to hide from the elements if it does happen to rain!)

It was a great wedding and wonderful to be part of another happy couple’s big day.

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On the program was a race day at Knockhill and a private crossing of the Forth Road Bridge; it seems a Ferrari also buys some privileges.  Here is a wee peek inside a pretty fantastic event.

Roddy is still in secret talks about driving for Ferrari next season.

Photos by Stewart Attwood Edinburgh based photographer and all round nice chap!

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The participants enjoyed a whole variety of different activities, inclucing falconry, tossing the caber, Highland dance workshop and a farmers dash.  As well as entertaining guests with his bagpipe playing, Roddy also led the Bagpipe masterclass.  The guests enjoyed getting to grips with the basics on the chanter, as well as some pretty sucessful attempts on the pipes.

To find out a bit more about Roddy’s Bagpipe Masterclasses, take a look at this video, and get in contact to find out more about bagpiping and Highland games.

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Roddy will be happy to answer your bagpipe related questions and tell you about his Highland dress.

Have a look at our have a blow bagpipe video….

If you fancy trying some other Scottish experiences to go along with your bagpipe playing, then have a look at our Highland games video.  Our masterclasses are great for incentive experiences, tourist groups and people full of hot air!  If you are looking for serious tuition, not just a one off have a blow workshop, then we can recommend some of our colleagues who teach bagpipes privately.

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Roddy was asked to help out the uber trendy G & V Hotel with a photo shoot for their new wedding brochure.  Positioned right in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, the G&V is just seconds from the Royal Mile and St Giles Cathedral and offers plenty of iconic backdrops for your wedding pictures.

Roddy always enjoys working with the super talented Tony Marsh; if you are looking for a photgrapher/videographer, do take a look at Tony’s website to see what he could do for you.

Working with Lamborghini and Aston Martin was a particular highlight for Roddy, and he thoroughly enjoyed working with the G&V again.  To find out more about wedding packages at the G&V, and to see more of the photos.

To get more information on wedding services Roddy the Piper can provide, check out his website, as well as Reel Time Events for a full wedding entertainment package, and do get in touch for further details and a tailor made quote.

To see Roddy in action with his band, check out the new Reel Time Band website!

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Burns Night continued for Roddy with a trip to Madrid for the Ambassador’s Burns Supper.  An evening of elegance, poetry, wonderful food and ceilidh dancing was enjoyed at the Ambassador’s residence in Madrid.  An excellent evening was had by all.  Guests enjoyed a menu of cock-a-leekie soup, Scottish smoked salmon, Macsween’s haggis, followed by cranachan.  Dinner was interspersed with poetry from the Bard, as well as a wonderful menu of whisky to complement each course.  Roddy’s particular favourite was the Lagavulin 16 which paired beautifully with the haggis.

The Immortal Memory was wonderfully presented by one of the past presidents of the World Burns Federation.  Roddy has heard many of these presentations and this was definitely one of the best; memorable, funny and it hit the tone of the audience well.

After dinner, the guests enjoyed some ceilidh dancing to work off the calories, before a large rendition of Auld Lang Syne to finish the evening.

The Bard would have been proud!

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So you’ve booked your venue, started shopping for dresses and now it’s time to think about some entertainment. But where do you begin? You know you would like a piper but you don’t know what he could do for you. Well, that’s why we are here to help with planning your Wedding Bagpiper choices.

Below is a list of duties that the piper could perform for you throughout the ceremony and reception. Arriving roughly fifteen minutes before your guests he will be ready to play as they arrive until the moment you sit down for the first time as husband and wife.

Photo: Bluesky

Ceremony

• Arrive and set up in position to greet your guests
• Playing as guests arrive at the ceremony, for about half an hour
• Pipe the bride from the wedding car to the ceremony. Settle any last-minute bridal nerves!
• If requested play her up the aisle
• Play a few tunes as guests leave the ceremony
• Be on hand for any photos you may wish to take

Photo: Ewa Labuda

Reception

• Pipe as guests arrive at the reception venue and welcome the newly married couple
• Pipe guests to the lineup, before piping in the top table, if required
• Return to play in the bride and groom.  If you are cutting the wedding cake at this point, the Piper would be more than happy to announce this
• Often at this stage, the bride will present the Piper with a dram, and he will toast the newly married couple, before piping himself out

Most weddings will last roughly three and a half hours from guests arrival until you are seated for the wedding breakfast. The piper will be offered a dram of whisky from the bride to toast the newly married couple before being dismissed from his duties.

Wedding Bagpiper 

The Wedding Bagpiper would be dressed in a full highland outfit and the furry bonnet can be worn upon request. If you are looking for something slightly less formal we can offer a piper in number two dress consisting of a kilt, shirt, waistcoat, and kilt jacket.

Photo: Ewa Labuda

With a wide variety of tunes on offer, it can be hard to know where to start.  Some of the most popular are Highland Cathedral, Scotland the Brave, Mhairi’s Wedding, and The Rowantree. If you’re not sure what you’d like to hear we are more than happy to discuss the difference between tunes and the most suitable songs for different parts of the day.

Some of our couples choose to add a Haggis Address to the list of pipers duties.  We just need you to make sure there is a Chieftain Haggis organised. Robert Burns wrote ‘The Address to the Haggis’ and one of our pipers will take four to five minutes offering a theatrical rendition for you and your guests. You will then be asked to toast the haggis before it is served for dinner.

To finish off the piper will then play himself out of the venue allowing you both to enjoy the rest of your special day.

Hopefully, now you’ll have a better idea of how to begin planning your wedding bagpiper.

For further ideas or inspiration, find out more and take a look at Roddy’s Wedding Gallery.  You should also check out Roddy’s Wedding Bands!

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Roddy particularly enjoys meeting graduates from all over the world.  Being part of their graduation ceremony, he hopes to help create a lasting memory of Scotland for them to take back around the world with them.  He looks forward to meeting the graduates of 2017.

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Reel Time put on a Full Scottish Show including highly skilled drummers, pipers and clarsach players. During the celebrations two mini pipe bands drummed the beat to mark the momentous occasion. Alongside the vibrant music several Highland Dancers took to the floor to impress the guests in the traditional highland attire.

Before food was served Roddy addressed the haggis using Rabbie Burns’ ‘Address to a Haggis.’ Knife in hand, the traditional poem was recited by Roddy dressed in full highland dress before he stabbed the haggis triumphantly to signal the beginning of the meal.

Later in the evening Roddy got the chance to meet Miss Canada; another example of Reel Time’s Celtic Connections.

As the evening drew to a close Roddy and the Pipe Band led guests out to the lawn to beat the retreat. In a spectacular fashion the grand finale involved pipers and drummers playing while fireworks lit up the night sky.

Here is a photo of the band playing as Dundas Castle entertainment.

Thank you to all the guests, the staff at Dundas and Miss Canada for helping to create an atmosphere fit for the signing of a £300m deal!

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