Roddy MacLellan

Roddy (Roderick) MacLellan (born 1956) is a Scottish bagpipe maker, currently based out of his store MacLellan Bagpipes in Zebulon, North Carolina. His business is the only one in North America to make, sell, and teach how to play bagpipes, and one of the few stores offering custom bagpipe making in the world.

Born in the 1950s in Scotland, MacLellan graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1980 after studying metalsmithing and woodworking. In search of more opportunity, MacLellan immigrated to the United States when he was 22, working as a silversmith and fashion photographer in New York City for a number of businesses. He became inspired in bagpipe making after hearing the instruments at his wedding, and soon began creating them as a hobby. After improving in skill, he switched to bagpipe making full time in the 1990s, setting up a workshop under the name "MacLellan Bagpipes" in New York, South Carolina, and North Carolina, before moving again in North Carolina to his business's current location in Zebulon.

African blackwood, alongside less traditionally used Cocobolo and other woods, moose antlers, and other materials are used in the bagpipe making process, which takes a week or longer to create one bagpipe. This work includes turning wood and metal on lathe and other specialized metalworking techniques done in the workshop. MacLellan's pieces have been used by a number of bands worldwide, including at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and were named a finalist in the "Coolest Thing Made in N.C." annual online competition run by the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce.

Early life and education

When I first started it was because no one else was doing it. Then everything would have to come in from Scotland, so I thought... why not do this here, ya know!? That's kind of how it happened. A little bit by accident. — Roddy MacLellan — January 2023 interview with WTVD where he began playing bagpipes casually as a child. He later studied metalsmithing and woodworking at the Glasgow School of Art, from which he graduated in 1980, but had few job prospects at the time. He later held his wedding in Scotland, at which he became inspired by the bagpipes played there to begin making bagpipes himself using his education and experience he gained as a craftsman. MacLellan left silversmithing to pursue making bagpipes full time under the name "MacLellan Bagpipes". MacLellan then moved to Summerville, South Carolina, around 2004, where he set up a small workshop. Here, his workshop began to produce around ninety bagpipes each year. Due to a lack of interest from Raleigh, however, MacLellan was unable to move his business to the city but desired to still move close to it as to continue working with the Pipe Band. MacLellan then began considering Zebulon as a potential location to move to after a successful performance at the Olde Raleigh Distillery in the town, after which an employee under MacLellan, Joe Brady, noticed the building next door was vacant and recommended it. The town furthermore was only a short distance from Raleigh and was found to be more inviting.

MacLellan Bagpipes

In March 2023, the current iteration of MacLellan's bagpipe-making business MacLellan Bagpipes was founded in Zebulon. When finished, the bagpipes are sold worldwide, In 2023, MacLellan Bagpipes was named a finalist for small businesses in the "Coolest Thing Made in N.C." annual online competition run by the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce.

Personal life MacLellan was born in Glasgow in either 1955 or 1956, as he was reported to be 58 in an interview on September 18, 2014. He is married and has a family. In response to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, MacLellan commented "The heart says 'yes' but the mind says 'no but expressed gratitude on the peacefulness and democratic process in which it was taking place.