Alnwick Castle Celebrates the Northumbrian Smallpipes and the Duke's Piper

Few instruments are as bound up with this county as the Northumbrian smallpipes, and few places are as fitting a stage for them as Alnwick Castle. Over the weekend of 19 and 20 September 2026, the castle gave the pipes and the tradition of the Duke's Piper a weekend of their own.

A living tradition, not a museum piece

The programme brought pipers, musicians, dancers, castle guides and visitors together for demonstrations, talks and hands-on sessions. The Duke's Piper, Andrew Davison, welcomed visitors on both days and appeared in the State Rooms and the Great Kitchen, a role that ties a working musician to the Percy family's long patronage of Northumbrian music.

Visitors were able to try the smallpipes for themselves in "have a go" sessions, and there was a demonstration of Northumbrian and Durham traditional hornpipe clog dancing accompanied by the pipes. Sunday built towards a full Pipers' Gathering, with an opening performance from the Duke's Piper each morning and a Young Pipers' session celebrating the next generation of musicians.

Best for: The Northumbrian smallpipes are bellows-blown, not mouth-blown like the Scottish Highland pipes, which gives them their soft, sweet, indoor tone. Alnwick Castle is open seasonally from late March to October, daily 10am to 5pm.

Why it matters locally

An archival display and spotlight talks explored the long connection between the Northumbrian pipes and the Dukes of Northumberland, and the whole weekend was included with standard castle admission. For Alnwick, events like this are a reminder that the castle is not only a Harry Potter filming location and a grand day out, but a genuine keeper of Northumberland's cultural heritage.

The weekend was reported by the Northumberland Gazette. Details of the castle's wider programme are on the Alnwick Castle website.