Rotarians were literally ‘blown away’ hearing about the international success of an Ayrshire company that made bagpipes for Madonna,

Speaking at a meeting of members of the Rotary Club of Hunterston at the Lauriston Hotel, Ardrossan, Kenny Macleod, co-founder of McCallum Bagpipes of Kilmarnock, explained how, since 1998 the company had significantly expanded its operations and is now recognised as one of the world's top designers and manufacturers of bagpipes.

It makes and sells more than 2,000 sets of bagpipes every year to home and overseas customers.

And their clients incude such stars as Madonna, who featured the pipes on her world tour.

He said: “Following our decision to utilise the benefits of computer aided design and manufacturing techniques to produce chanters and other components for our bagpipes, we have gained an international reputation of which we are all very proud."

In 2010 McCallum Bagpipes won the manufacturing sector in the Excellence in Business award for Ayrshire.

The company are now recognised as world leaders in this expanding global marketplace. The McCallum solo chanter, designed exclusively by Willie McCallum and played by numerous bands across the world, won the Grade 2 World Championship in 2008.

Explaining the company’s manufacturing process to Rotarians, Mr Macleod, who travels the world promoting the McCallum Bagpipes, said: “Using state-of-the-art production techniques including the latest computer controlled machines, we have been able to increase production here at our factory in Kilmarnock where our 39 employees make up to 2,000 sets of bagpipes each year, many of which are exported around the world to over 20 countries.

“Using African blackwood from Tanzania for the chanters, which requires no carving as our machines accurately complete the process easily and efficiently.

"The end products head for customers in countries such as the USA, Canada, the Middle and Far East and of course in the UK and Eire."

He added: “Many of the world’s top Grade 1 pipe bands and top soloists have won almost every top piping award using the McCallum pipes."

He told Rotarians that, on one occasion the company was called upon to assist pop diva, Madonna with one of her global tours.

She wished to include a complete Scottish section in her reinvention tour and bought McCallum Bagpipes for her piper Lorne Cousins to use on the worldwide tour.

Westlife were presented with McCallum Bagpipes for selling more tickets than any artist at the SECC in Glasgow.

Scots film icon Ewan McGregor is also a customer and has made a personal visit to the 10,000sqft McCallum factory and showroom located in the Moorfield Industrial Estate in Kilmarnock.

There the company can also supply a range of other pipe band instruments, equipment and Highland wear.

Costing between £900 and £7,000, the McCallum Bagpipes are renowned for their quality and durability as they continue to please customers around the globe.

A spokesman for Hunterston Rotary said: "Kenny's two piping tunes before his talk simply blew us away. We were so impressed by his company's success that we intent visiting the factory soon."