Nowadays there's huge interest in piping from abroad

Roddy McLeod, centre director

The new course will cover piping technology, the tone of the Highland bagpipes and their construction.

Students will be offered the chance to study at teacher training colleges, where they can learn to become school music teachers.

They will also be able to study Gaelic and Scottish folklore.

The aim is to provide graduates with better career opportunities and a module on business studies has been included.

Five students from Scotland will initially be accepted on to the course, on top of which the academy hopes to attract people from overseas.

The Piping Centre is involved in the joint venture

Centre director Roddy McLeod said: "Nowadays there's huge interest in piping from abroad, particularly the US and Canada, but Australia, New Zealand and other hotbeds of piping.

"We even have pipers coming to us from Japan and Brazil.

"It's a very broad-based degree. It goes much further than just training the pipers in performance. It has piping repertoire, history and a component in the technology of the instrument."

The RSAMD says the new degree is being used as a pilot for other traditional Scottish instruments.

If successful, courses could be introduced for the accordian and fiddle.

Piping centre co-founder, Oona Ivory, said: "The government and higher education authorities are recognising the importance and value of traditional Scottish music and in particular the role of the Great Highland Bagpipe."

The degree's launch on Friday comes a day before the start of the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, which are expected to attract more than 200 bands from all over the world.