Block 1
Autumn
Thu 20 Aug to Thu 1 Oct 2026
7 Thursdays
£49
Booking a place.
Places are booked a block at a time. Here's how it works and what it costs.
Block 2 booking is open. Thursday 22 October to Thursday 17 December. Please confirm your child's place by Thursday 15 October.
Five blocks across the school year.
They follow the Argyll and Bute school terms, so holidays are always off.
Block 2
Winter
Thu 22 Oct to Thu 17 Dec 2026
9 Thursdays
£63
Block 3
New Year
Thu 7 Jan to Thu 4 Feb 2027
5 Thursdays
£35
Block 4
Spring
Thu 18 Feb to Thu 1 Apr 2027
7 Thursdays
£49
Block 5
Summer
Thu 22 Apr to Thu 24 Jun 2027
10 Thursdays
£70
More than one child?
There's a family rate for siblings. Get in touch and I'll work out your block fee.
How it works.
01
Confirm the place
A few weeks before each block I'll send you the dates and ask if your child is carrying on. If I don't hear back by the date I give, I may offer the place to someone on the waiting list.
02
Pay before it starts
One payment covers the block. If splitting it in two would help, just ask.
03
The place is theirs
Their spot is held for every week of the block, and I'll be expecting them.
New to Etive Pipers?
Come along to a free taster Thursday before you commit to anything. If it suits, they can join partway through a block and I'll adjust the price.
If the cost is a problem
Have a quiet word with me. The Etive Pipers Fund is partly there for this, something can always be sorted, and it stays between us. No child has ever been turned away over money.
What if my child misses a week?
The fee holds their place for the whole block, so missed weeks aren't refunded or carried over. Do still let me know so I can plan the session. They're welcome to sit in with another group that block to catch up.
What if we have a clash one week?
It happens, don't worry. Let me know and they can catch up with another group that block. What matters is that their place is held and they're part of the group across the term.
What if you cancel a session?
I'll reschedule it or add an extra week at the end of the block. You'll never lose a session you've paid for.
Can we still pay week by week?
No, places are for the whole block. That's what lets each group work through the term together.
Can I pay in instalments?
Yes. Just ask and we'll split it in two. I'd much rather sort something out than lose a piper over timing.
What if we want to stop?
Just tell me before the next block opens. There's no notice period beyond that. Once a block has started, fees aren't refunded.
Can my child join partway through a block?
Yes, if there's space in the right group. I'll adjust the price for a mid-block start.
Is there a waiting list?
Yes, when groups are full. Pupils already in a group always get first refusal on their place before it's offered to anyone waiting.
What about the school holidays?
Blocks only cover term time, so holidays are never charged for. Anything I run in the holidays is arranged and priced separately, and I'll let families know about it.
Ready for Block 2?
Let me know by Thursday 15 October and I'll send you the payment details.