College of Piping Kilt Prices

**MacSpadger** · 20th October 12, 09:35 AM

Does anyone have any expeience with ordering a kilt from the College of Piping in Glasgow?
I went to Geoffrey Kiltmakers in Sauchiehall St today and asked about a heavyweight (16 oz) hand stitched kilt, with tartan from the Lochcarron Mills. I was quoted £560.

At the College of Piping I asked from the same thing, a hand stitched 8 yard 16oz kilt, with fabric from the Lochcarron Strome range and was quoted £294.95. I asked the shop assistant, Gary, if he was sure. He said he'd double check with the supplier. He emailed me later to confirm that was the correct price for a handstitched 8yd kilt with a 16oz Lochcarron fabric, £294.95.

That's a staggering price difference. The CoP link is here, for both machined and hand stitched kilts.

**Grizzly** · 20th October 12, 10:45 AM

That sounds to good to be true. That's a fantastic deal. Ask if they will give you a written quote as the material alone should be around £26 per single width mtr. Which is over £200 by itself.

**denmcdough** · 20th October 12, 11:47 AM

Sorry, but I can not help you with your predicament. However, may I suggest a great place to order a kilt (I have one from here), and it's located in Scotland: Reid Kilts.

Some other forum members have purchased Ried kilts, also, and I think everyone is pleased. Peter, the owner, is a fantastic chap to work with, and he'll see to it that everything is done correctly.

Best of luck!

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 20th October 12, 07:10 PM

I'm here at the Stone Mountain Highland Games working with the Scottish Tartans Museum tent this weekend. A 16 oz hand stitched 8 yard kilt from Lochcarron cloth through the museum's gift shop is $540. A customer of ours reported that Geoffrey (Tailor), who also has a booth at this same Games, quoted about $900 for the same kilt. So the price difference you describe does not surprise me.

**MacSpadger** · 21st October 12, 03:35 AM

The college have emailed me with the details and price as quoted, so that's written confirmation, I guess.

I visit the College of Piping weekly, and I guess the only way to be 100% sure that's it's not too good to be true is to proceed with an order. The College of Piping do have much less expensive prices for lessons, bagpipes, books, chanters, etc, etc, than anywhere else that I know of as they are a charity and not a business, and rely heavily on unpaid volunteers who do the work, but I'm still kind of in the "too good to be true" area for this kilt price. It does seem to be just above the level of the fabric cost.

That's including VAT for UK buyers, by the way. If you are not a UK resident you would pay £245.79, (according to the price list), that's around 393 USD.

**Grizzly** · 21st October 12, 05:24 AM

If it's any comfort I have ordered from them before and have just placed an order with them for a bandspec raincape. Never had any problems and it's why I just ordered with them again.

**rsvpiper** · 21st October 12, 01:00 PM

If they have the tartan your after chance your arm mate you still have your right to pull the plug if the price goes skyward. mind your post has got me athinking

**MacSpadger** · 25th October 12, 06:28 AM

OK folks, I have taken the plunge and ordered a hand stitched kilt in 16oz Locharron Strome fabric from the College of Piping. I was charged £245.79 for the completed tailor made kilt, (that's around 393 USD), but as a UK resident I had to pay 20% VAT to the government, bringing it up to a total of £294.95. (If you order from outside the UK, you don't pay VAT).

As this still has the "too good to be true" aura around it, I will report on things when the kilt arrives, which will be around 5-6 weeks or so. Obviously if this turns out be be a good kilt, it will mean a mega saving over Geoffrey's quote of £560 for exactly the same thing. Fingers crossed!

**Grizzly** · 25th October 12, 06:43 AM

Macspadger I duly received my Inverness cape yesterday from the College of Piping. I have to say that I cant fault their level of service. I am sure that the kilt will be fine. Am very interested to see how your kilt turns out. Keep us posted.

**freddie** · 26th October 12, 02:22 PM

Geoffrey (tailor) has always been very expensive. Even kilts made from their own cloth have always cost over £400. I asked Lochcarron themselves how much a 9 yard kilt would cost in Strome a couple of years ago and they quoted me £371.