A CUMNOCK piper has launched a series of five books celebrating music, history and folklore from East Ayrshire and surrounding districts.

Karen McCrindle Warren, a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, is a full time piping instructor who competed in the recent World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow.

Her books, called The South West Scotland Collection, are written entirely in Scots Leid — a language spoken throughout the Scottish Lowlands.

They are the first publications of their kind which focus on the musical and cultural heritage of this area on the bagpipes.

The National Piping Centre in Glasgow hosted the launch event, which was sponsored by McCallum Bagpipes of Kilmarnock.

Along with fellow piper Paul Warren, Karen has started up a pipe band academy, called EPIC, which is touring primary schools.

EPIC stands for Encouragement and Praise Inspires Champions and Karen hopes to help create a trophy winning pipe band in the Cumnock area.

She came close to being a winner herself at the world championships as a member of Vale of Atholl Pipe Band, which was 10th of 214 contestants — visit info@elixir.scot for more details on EPIC.