Visitors to Achiltibuie in Wester Ross will soon be able to hear the skirl of the bagpipes morning, noon and night - if they listen very carefully.

But they don't have to worry about losing any sleep, because the source of the music - the newly opened Achiltibuie Piping School - lies on the outskirts of town and has sound-proofed classrooms.

The new facility has been set up by a dedicated group of local volunteers as a centre of bagpiping excellence.

It is located in the former Achiltibuie Village Hall which was originally built in 1914 as an army shooting range. It has been transformed to provide state of the art facilities for the various local, national and international courses which will be delivered when the first students arrive.

A pipe band comprising of local pipers and visitors from further afield gathered on Saturday (28 April, 2001) to mark the official opening of the school with a march from the village to the new school about a mile away.

Councillor Isabelle Campbell, The Highland Council's spokesperson on arts and culture, who opened the centre, said: "I am sure the new centre will attract both local and visiting players and that young people from this vibrant community will take advantage of the teaching resources. By passing on skills and knowledge to young people we will ensure the future of our culture."

The facility which has cost £125,000 should appeal to musicians the world over and will be delivered by some of the country's best bagpiping tutors. It can cater for up to 12 students at a time and over 100 are expected to use the facility in the next year alone, with the first due to arrive later in May. Students will have access to the sound-proofed classrooms, audio-visual equipment, a library, an archive and eight track digital recording equipment.

Well-known highland piper and multi-instrumentalist Davy Garrett is the manager and one of the locals behind the project. He explained: "Although Scotland has two dedicated piping schools, neither are located in the Highlands and Islands which seems a little odd as the bagpipes are something you would most associate with the Highlands than anywhere else.

"Our new school is also breaking new ground as it is being run entirely by the local community. This means we can let local pipers use the facility for free and the profits generated from the courses we run will be re-invested for future development. A detailed business plan has also been produced to prove the viability of the whole project and to demonstrate that it could stand on its own two feet after the start up phase."

The project has received financial assistance from a number of sources including £25,000 from Ross and Cromarty Enterprise (RACE), £13,000 from The Highland Council and £10,000 from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts. The lynchpin and final piece in the funding jigsaw was a £35,000 approval from the new European-funded Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme under the ERDF programme.

Jackie McGuinnity, head of community development at RACE said: "This project is a great example of a local community providing facilities and services that fit their own priorities.

"In addition to being an important facility for local pipers, it will create up to five full and part-time posts. It will also boost the economy of Achiltibuie and the surrounding area as local shops and accommodation providers will enjoy the benefits associated with additional visitors coming into the area each year."