Louise Marshall - Scottish Piper

Often referred to as ‘Scotland’s best known female piper’ in the media, due to her numerous appearances at high profile events worldwide, Louise Marshall is also well known as a solo performer. She was chosen as the lone piper to welcome Pope Benedict XVI to Edinburgh during his State Visit to Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government in 2010. She also performed for Her Majesty the Queen alongside top British Soprano Lesley Garrett and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at the naming ceremony of Cunard’s newest Ocean Liner 'Queen Elizabeth' in Southampton.

Louise lives in Edinburgh and regularly performs with her Celtic rock band ‘Cantara’. She also enjoys teaching bagpipes as well as hosting corporate and private fun bagpipe workshops. Her father, the late William Joseph Marshall, was the piper at Gretna Green for 44 years. Louise, who was born in Dumfries, accompanied her father during her childhood, along with her sister and two brothers, playing the bagpipes at the world famous ‘Blacksmith’s Shop’ at Gretna Green, located on the border with England and Scotland. Together, Louise and her Marshall family of pipers have welcomed millions of visitors to Scotland for almost 70 years.

She plays two consecutive lunchtimes during More London Free Festival's Free Music season (9-25 July) which features 3 weeks of lunchtime acoustic music, and dance and excitement in the evenings from jazz, blues, pop, soul, reggae, Latin, lounge and choirs.