Rain or Shine, Seven Days a Week, Bagpipes Echo Across Spanish Bay
Where Music Meets the Sea in Pebble Beach
For the first time last week, I got to experience legendary bagpiper Lan Olson play at the Inn at Spanish Bay.
This tradition began back in 1987, inspired by golf legend Tom Watson. Tom was known for his frequent comment, “this course feels so Scottish you can almost hear the bagpipes.”
The other legendary bagpiper is Michel D’Avenas.
Photo from this site: pebblebeachpiper.com
Michel D’Avenas Pebble Beach Bagpiper
Lane and Michel each play two nights a week. The other nights are filled by various other local bagpipers. Rain or shine, the bagpipers play, seven days a week. The hauntingly beautiful sound of the bagpipe’s drifts across the dunes of Spanish Bay, echoing all the way to the ancient windswept and weathered iconic Lone Cypress tree.
No visit to Monterey or Pebble Beach is complete without experiencing this unforgettable coastal ritual.
The Inn at Spanish Bay is located at 2700 17 Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, CA, 93953. Guests often gather on the patio or by the fire pits to enjoy the music and the sunset.
I recommend arriving early and spending some time at the breathtaking Spanish Bay Beach—perfect for a seaside picnic or a quiet walk along the shore. The beach is remarkably accessible; you can drive almost right up to the water and park just steps away. And of course, no visit is complete without a stop at the iconic Lone Cypress tree, that windswept sentinel standing guard further down 17-Mile Drive.