Pipe Major Joe Rafferty joined The Black Watch in 1972 and was appointed Pipe Major in 1983. In 1990 he took up the post of Chief Instructor at the Army School of Piping at Edinburgh Castle, and as such was the senior Pipe Major in the British Army. On his retirement from the Army in 1994 when he was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to Army piping, he took over the responsibility for the band at Fettes as a part-time instructor. He also became Pipe Major of the former Royal Yacht Britannia. In September 2001 he joined the Fettes staff as the College's first full-time piping instructor.

Jim Walker has taught drumming at Fettes since 1996, bringing with him almost 30 years’ experience. He began his drumming career in his native Canada with the North Saskatchewan Regiment and the Saskatoon Police, and after his move to Scotland some 20 years ago, played with the leading grade 1 band Dysart and Dundonald, reaching the rank of Drum Sergeant. He is now Leading Drummer of the Scottish Gas Pipe Band and is in demand as a percussionist for various folk and jazz groups.

Norman Macleod has taught the Fettes tenor drummers for the past four years. He has almost 30 years’ experience of playing in pipe bands, most notably with top grade 1 band MacNaughton’s Vale of Atholl. He currently plays for the Scottish Gas Pipe Band, and is in demand as a leader of seminars and workshops both in North America and Europe. He takes great pride in passing down a skill which was once almost lost but which is now becoming a distinctive feature of the pipe band world.

Mr Richard Davies is Master in charge of the Pipe Band.