The National Piping Centre
ENTRY
from £9
WHERE
Glasgow
What it’s like
A bagpipe museum that puts on a Santa disco, a Santa breakfast and a Hogmanay do for kids each winter.
Most of the year this is a museum about piping, the sort of place you'd take a kid who's curious about bagpipes and wants to see what all the fuss is about. But it's the winter events that give you an actual reason to book, and they're not shy about charging for them.
Breakfast with Santa is £19 a child, which is steep for a buffet breakfast and a gift, though the gift is included rather than an upsell, and the adult ticket gets you a filled roll and mince pies alongside your tea. Santa's Christmas Disco is the cheaper option at £15 a child, £9 for the grown-up watching from the side with a mince pie. If you're weighing the two, the disco is the one that doesn't ask as much of a toddler's patience, sitting through breakfast with a room full of excited kids is its own kind of endurance test.
There's a Wee Hogmanay Party too, £22 a child, with music, dancing and games and a party food buffet thrown in. The rest of the Hogmanay and Christmas ceilidh events on their list are over-18s only, so don't book those thinking it's a family night out, they're a separate thing entirely.
It sits right by Cowcaddens Subway, a couple of minutes' walk, and it's not far from Buchanan Bus Station either, so getting there without a car is straightforward if you're already in town.
What’s on here
- MON2
The Gathering
4 more dates
- SAT28
St Andrew's Night Ball 2026
A charity ball in Glasgow marking the National Piping Centre's 30th anniversary, with dinner, live music and ceilidh dancing.
- THU3
Festive Ceilidhs
20:00 · from £25 · 14 more dates
- SUN6
Santa's Christmas Disco
14:30 · from £9
- TUE29
Wee Hogmanay Party
17:00 · from £9 · 1 more dates
- THU31
Hogmanay Hootenanny
18:30 · from £35
Facilities
Need to know
- Getting there by bus or train
- Cowcaddens Subway 2-minute walk, Buchanan Bus Station 5-minute walk, Glasgow Central Station 10-minute walk
- The over-18s ceilidh and dinner events run £25 to £95 a head, don't confuse them with the Wee Hogmanay Party
- Adult tickets to the kids' events come with tea, coffee and mince pies, so you're not just standing about
- Party rooms and group bookings are listed as options if you're thinking of a party there
Plan your visit
How much does Breakfast with Santa cost?
£19 for a child, £12 for an adult. The child's ticket includes a buffet breakfast and a gift from Santa, the adult gets a filled roll, tea and mince pies.
Is the Christmas Disco cheaper than the breakfast?
It is, £15 a child and £9 for an adult, with tea, coffee and mince pies for the grown-ups.
Can kids come to the Hogmanay events?
Only the Wee Hogmanay Party, which is £22 a child and includes a party food buffet with music and games. The other ceilidh and dinner events are strictly over-18s.
What is there for kids outside the festive season?
The Museum of Piping is the main draw the rest of the year, a look at the history of bagpipes rather than a hands-on activity centre.
How do we get there without driving?
Cowcaddens Subway is a two-minute walk, Buchanan Bus Station about five minutes, and Glasgow Central Station is roughly ten minutes on foot.
Do they do birthday parties or group bookings?
They list group bookings and party rooms, so it's set up for that kind of thing, though you'd want to ask what a party package actually includes.
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