The company was founded in Scotland in 1897 as a musical instrument manufactory, specialising in the production of Highland bagpipes.

The creation of any musical instrument is a delicate art.  The crafting and finishing must be conducted to exacting standards, and ensuring excellent acoustic properties requires a very high degree of rigour and discrimination within the design and production processes.

The craftsmen who turned the drones of the pipes from African blackwood, ornamented with carved silver and ivory, were musicians themselves.  This was necessary for them to have an understanding of the results that they were striving towards.