Highland Bagpiper · Vancouver Island, BC

The Sound of Tradition.
The Weight of the Moment.

Live Highland bagpipes for weddings, funerals, and special events across Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.

— Flat $500 + travel —

Check My Date Watch Me Play
Pipe Major
Pacific Gael
Pipe Band
Bruce Knight Memorial
Top Open Amateur
Bagpiper
Member
BC Regiment
Irish Pipes & Drums
Watch Me Play

The Pipes in Person

A short clip of a recent solo performance.

Solo performance · Vancouver Island · Summer 2024

Where the Pipes Belong

Every Moment, Marked.

Weddings

From the moment guests arrive to the bride's processional and the recessional, bagpipes turn a wedding into a wedding worth remembering.

  • Guest arrival & cocktail piping
  • Processional & recessional
  • Reception entrance
  • Outdoor ceremonies

Funerals & Memorials

Few sounds carry the weight of grief — and the comfort of farewell — like a single piper.

  • Graveside & church services
  • Celebrations of life
  • Last Post tributes
  • Veterans' tributes

Special Events

Birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, Robbie Burns suppers, corporate gatherings, parades, and grand openings.

  • Burns Night & St. Andrew's Day
  • Milestone birthdays
  • Corporate events
  • Highland Games
Serving Across British Columbia
Victoria·Saanich Peninsula·Cowichan Valley·Duncan·Nanaimo·Parksville·Comox Valley·Campbell River·Tofino·Ucluelet·Vancouver·Lower Mainland
Meet Your Piper

Tamara Cameron

Former Pipe Major of the Pacific Gael Pipe Band. Bruce Knight Memorial winner — Top Open Amateur Bagpiper. Member of the BC Regiment Irish Pipes & Drums.

Tamara has spent more than four decades at the pipes — not just playing them, but leading them. As Pipe Major of the Pacific Gael Pipe Band, she set the tunes, kept the band tight, and led pipers and drummers through ceremonial precision. As a competing solo piper, she has been recognized as Top Open Amateur Bagpiper.

That same standard travels with her to every wedding, funeral, and special event she plays.

"The pipes don't just play music. They mark a moment."

Pipe Major
Pacific Gael Pipe Band
40+
Years on the Pipes
BC Regiment
Irish Pipes & Drums
Heritage & Service

A Family Tradition

Donald Grant — 1940–1945

My grandfather, Donald Grant, fought for Canada in both World Wars.

In April 1917, he stood at Vimy Ridge — the battle where Canada became a nation. He was a rifleman, then a sniper, then a scout. He came home in 1919.

Twenty-three years later, he enlisted again. He landed at Dieppe in 1942 with the South Saskatchewan Regiment and was taken prisoner. He survived two years and nine months as a German POW. He came home in May 1945.

That's the lineage I carry every time I lift the pipes.

When I play Amazing Grace at a veteran's farewell, I am continuing a tradition that runs through my own family.

For military funerals, Remembrance Day services, and veteran tributes — please reach out. There is no honor I take more seriously.
Newspaper clipping about Donald Grant
"They Never Fade Away"
Donald Grant · Vimy Ridge · Dieppe POW · Liberated May 4, 1945

The pipes don't just play music.
They mark a moment.

— Tamara Cameron —
The Tunes

A Repertoire for Every Moment

From hymns and slow airs to marches and reels — a partial list of tunes I play.

Contemporary requests, hymns, and family-specific tunes considered on request.

Simple, Transparent

One Flat Fee.

$500CAD

Flat performance fee — plus travel where required.

  • Up to one hour of live piping
  • Full Highland dress (kilt, doublet, glengarry)
  • Pre-event consultation to choose your tunes
  • Coordination with your celebrant or coordinator
  • Setup, sound check, and graceful exit

Travel from Vancouver Island. Cowichan / Nanaimo / Victoria corridor: typically no additional travel fee. Mid- & North-Island, Lower Mainland, ferry-required venues: travel quoted at booking.

Common Questions

Booking a Vancouver Island Bagpiper

How much does it cost to hire a bagpiper on Vancouver Island?
Tamara's flat performance fee is CA$500, plus travel where required. Covers up to one hour of live piping in full Highland dress, pre-event consultation, coordination with your celebrant, setup, and a graceful exit.
What areas do you serve?
All of Vancouver Island — Victoria, Saanich Peninsula, Cowichan Valley, Nanaimo, Parksville, Comox Valley, Campbell River, Tofino, and Ucluelet — plus the Lower Mainland.
Can you play at a funeral, memorial, or celebration of life?
Yes. Tamara plays graveside services, church funerals, celebrations of life, and Last Post tributes. Military funerals are particularly meaningful — her grandfather Donald Grant served Canada in both World Wars.
What tunes do you play at weddings?
Popular wedding choices include Highland Cathedral, Mairi's Wedding, Scotland the Brave, The Skye Boat Song, Amazing Grace, and Bonnie Dundee.
How far in advance should I book?
Vancouver Island wedding season runs May through September and books up early — six months out is comfortable.
Do you wear full Highland dress?
Yes — kilt, doublet, sporran, and glengarry. Pacific Gael Pipe Band uniform for band engagements; formal Highland dress for solo work.
What is a Pipe Major?
The senior-most piper in a pipe band — the musical leader who sets tunes, leads tuning, and conducts the band. Tamara held this role with the Pacific Gael Pipe Band.
Do you play Burns Night and Remembrance Day?
Yes — Tamara is a regular at Burns Night suppers across Vancouver Island and has led the Pacific Gael Pipe Band on Remembrance Day in downtown Nanaimo.
In Their Words

What Families Have Said

"
Tamara piped my husband and me down the aisle. Our guests went silent the moment she started — and the photos are unreal. She made the day feel as big as it actually was.
— Sarah M., Cowichan Valley · 2024
"
Tamara played at my father's celebration of life. He was a veteran. The dignity she brought to Amazing Grace and the Last Post — there are no words.
— David R., Nanaimo · 2024
"
We hired Tamara for our Burns Night supper. Full Highland dress, perfect tunes. Already booked her for next year.
— Rotary Club of Victoria · 2024
Book the Pipes

Check My Date.

Tell me about your event. I'll reply within 24 hours with availability and a complete quote.

Prefer email? Write directly: tamara@islandbagpiper.com