I was thinking of going for a Bb chanter as I really like the deep tone but as the chanter is quite long and my fingers are short I am concerned that I might find the reach a bit much
Does anyone know how far apart the holes are ? As I could then mark them on a broomhandle and try it for size
RORY
Here’s a side-by-side shot of the fingerhole spacing comparing D,C,B, and Bb. These are Tony’s chanters.
It is best to mentally seperate the top hand and bottom hand holes when looking at this photo rather than looking at the overall length… for me the difference isn’t bad at all… but then again… I am very large shall we say 
PD.
Pat, there’s a diet for that. 
Rory, I find that the overall difference in length between a D and a B isn’t as significant as the different spacing of some of the holes. For me, I find the distance between the E and F# on my B chanter much different than the alignment for the other holes on the D. I’m not sure if this is the same for all makes of chanter.
djm
Pat D’Arcy wrote:"but then again… I am very large shall we say "
…Perhaps more information than I require at this time… 
I have pretty small hands and had no problems playing a B chanter. If you can play a low D whistle without any trouble, then a B chanter wouldn’t likely be any trouble either. I could cover the holes on a Bb and space-wise it’s only a little bit wider, but I didn’t find it very comfortable. Perhaps something I could get used to over time, but I think I like the sound of B sets better anyway.
The only way to be sure you will get a nice fit is to try B and Bb narrowbore sticks from several different makers. Otherwise you pay your money and take your chances - although you can expect your investment to at least hold its value if it came from a good maker.
Another thing to think about: how tall are you? Shorter pipers usually have no trouble covering tone holes on a narrow B or Bb chanter but using the regs to their fullest can be difficult. A C or C# set may be more comfortable in that regard.