Welcome to learn2pipe from Edinburgh.

Teaching Bagpipes Online for Eight Years.

Hi! I am Pipe major Robert R. Pinkman.

I was born into a piping family in 1954, in the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh.

I was not aware of the piping tradition in my family until I was about six years old. The reason for this was, when my father was a boy he was expected to become a very good player and was forced to practice by his tyrannical grandmother, whom everyone obeyed! There was little pleasure in this for him. He did become a very good player, competing with pipers John Burgess (late), Ian Macleod and Bob Kilgour, to name just a few. When he was old enough for national service, he chose the RAF Regiment, not known for having pipers. He wanted to get away from the pipes. He was posted in Germany but, in the camp next door was Ian Macleod. So, he did not really get away from the pipes.

He came home after his stint in the RAF Regiment and shortly after his grandmother died. He got married in 1952 and did not play the pipes. Then one day when I was about seven he told us he had been asked to re-join the local band. This was news to me. I had no idea he played.

He got himself a set of pipes and started to practice at home. I was always listening. Either in the room with him or in my own room laying on my bed letting my mind wander. Some say it has never returned!

After months of pestering him to teach me, he finally agreed and so, began my fantastic piping journey.

I soon became a member of the band just as it changed it’s name from Arniston pipe band to Bilston Glen pipe band under the leadership of my father. This was a miners sponsored band and when one pit closed the men went to another so, the band had to change it’s name. We quickly rose up through the grades to become one of the best in the world. Trend setters in playing medleys when the competition format was march, strathspey and reel. The band did a couple of tours in Canada for the CNE. We cut an album ( The Pipers Welcome ) which, did very well. These were great times!

During this time I also had a blossoming solo career, winning many prizes and medals.At twelve years old, I had tuition in piobaireachd from Captain John MacLellan at Edinburgh Castle, where the British army piping school was.

In 1974 the band folded. My father became pipe major of the Lothians and Borders Fire Brigade pipe band. I followed a year later when they were now grade three. They started in grade four the previous year. They had never been much of a band but, when news of my father becoming pipe major got out, there was a lot of young pipers wishing to join. We won more or less, everything in grade three and then it was into grade two. I did a few overseas gigs during this time. One of which was for Vogue magazine in Paris. That was a great gig!! I got a bit fed up with pipe bands and decided to take a rest.

After a while I joined a band called the 153 regt RCT (volunteers), who were a grade one band and, you got paid for being a member. I was in this band for about five years during which time we went to Germany a few times.

I was the asked to become pipe major of the Fire Brigade band and readily agreed. We began winning prizes again in grade two and were considered the band that was going places. Alas, it was not to last. Government cutbacks meant that the pipe band had to be disbanded. We tried to amalgamate with another band but, that did not work out because the guy who was in charge of the other band would not move over and give me the reigns. None of my boys were happy so, we all left and joined different pipe bands. I joined a band called Torphichen & Bathgate who had been our rivals. At my first contest with them, we won the British Championships in grade two. Grade one beckoned. In our first year in grade one, we got into the top six. I was starting to get fed up again after about five years with the band. I was not fed up with the band but, the RSPBA. They were making fools of us. The final straw came when we played in a championship in a newly cut corn field and the rain was coming at us horizontally. I’d had enough!

I had been playing in a Celtic Rock band during this time and had also started a piping school. I decided to go full time with the band and soon we were touring all over the world. My bagpipe school also flourished. On one occasion, we were playing for Chivas Regal whisky in Caracas, Venezuela when some of the Chivas people asked me to help out with some promotional work in my spare time. This meant a fair bit of travel. I like travelling so, I agreed. During one of my trips abroad to Istanbul & Ankara, the band replaced me with a young lady wearing a mini skirt. She looked a lot better than me but, I don’t know about the playing. So, she was in, I was out. C’est la vie!

I concentrated more on my piping school which was producing some fine young pipers. Eventually, as time wore on, I started to miss my partner and kids who all lived in Wales.  I decided to move to Wales and live as a family. My partner Tresi and the kids Cerys (10) and Aron (9). I have an older son, Chris who likes to work overseas. he is in Spain, right now.