Stirling, Scotland
After visiting Stirling Castle, I came down the hill and parked in front of Stirling Bagpipes. I first learned about this place in Rick Steves’s Scotland Guidebook, but I was not sure it would be open. On a whim, I went in, but everyone stayed back in the van.
I walked into the shop, which had a counter, bagpipes, and several accessories. Alan Waldron, the owner, came in from the back and asked me what I was looking for. I told him I was not really sure, but I wanted to check out his store. Alan told me that 30 years ago he wandered into a store like I did and has been making and repairing bagpipes ever since. The question that popped into my mind, and into my mother’s when I came back to the van, was, “Does this guy want me to take over his store?” Alan told me bagpipes are a great hobby because they help your lungs and keep you out of trouble. I thought for about half a second about what life would be like if I became a bagpipe shop owner, but I knew it didn’t seem like my current path or goal. I also think that Alan was joking around with me, because you could immediately sense that this store was his pride and joy.
I mentioned that I came into the store on Uncle Rick’s suggestion. He seemed a little offended by Rick Steves’s entry on him, saying that he described his shop as cluttered. Alan was proud of his shop and did not like that description. To me, the shop was well used, but nothing seemed out of place. You could tell the shop was the home of a craftsman proud of his work. However, Alan was definitely thankful that Rick Steves’s guide had brought in lots of traffic, including yours truly.
Alan showed me some of his goods, and the pipes were of excellent quality. You could get a starter set with a practice chanter for £49 (as of 2026). He also had a fair amount of CDs featuring bagpipe music. The one issue he had during my visit was that his credit card machine was down. I wanted to hold on to the pounds I had, as I was going to be in Scotland for another week and a half.
He asked what I was doing in Scotland, and I told him the basics from our itinerary, but explained that we were heading north toward my ancestors’ hometown. I explained that there were possibly as many people in North Carolina of Scottish descent as there are in Scotland, but he quipped, “Well, they can not be fully Scottish.” I explained, “No, I’m not either,” and he joked that we were a bunch of Mongrels and that really all of us are. To that I agreed, as it is rather presumptuous of me to claim to be part Scottish when my Scottish ancestors sailed to the Virginia colony many years prior.
While we were talking, a couple from Australia came into the shop, so Alan turned to them to try to make a sale. They were looking for something for their son, and I hope I talked them into the bagpipe starter set, since they said he was interested in learning the instrument. As for me, I knew I would not take up the hobby, or at this time in my life, be a shopkeeper.
However, my experience reinforced that there seem to be four kinds of people in the world: those that go and see the world, those that let the world come to them, those that seek out a curated view of the world, and those that the world happens all around them, but they fail to engage. I know my reflections place me firmly into the first group. If you have never read my Why Travel post, please do so; it explains a lot about how and why I travel the globe. Considering Alan’s shop had four people from three different continents, he would definitely be in the second group. I know several people who usually choose the same destination or the same kind of destination. They firmly fit in the third camp. Nothing is wrong with this type of traveler; they have different goals than me, usually involving relaxation (for example, a trip to a beach house) or thrills and/or role play (for example, a trip to Disney World). The final group, however, seems never to travel, so they never expand their ideals. Mark Twain said it best, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” The best thing we can do is see and meet people. Finally, if any of you are interested in purchasing or repairing a bagpipe, please reach out to Alan at Stirling Bagpipes. Rick Steves also gave it a one-triangle Worthwhile recommendation, and I strongly encourage you to stop by if you are visiting Stirling.