PP Editor’s Blog 13/2/15

Today is the day which, in 1692, witnessed the Massacre of Glencoe  –  70 MacDonalds murdered under trust for alleged treason. It remains one of the darkest episodes in Scotland’s history and has captured the imagination of musicians and writers ever since

Sir Walter Scott’s wrote his  little-known poem ‘On the Massacre of Glencoe’ and now an Edinburgh-based company Double Take Projections has created a video showing the words of Scott’s poem, being beamed, on location, onto the Glencoe scenery. Well worth a look.

Have a listen too to two wax cylinder recordings from the British Library made in 1908.

Finally, see and hear piper Neil Clark playing the piobaireachd at Roseneath Games here.


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Disappointed Glenn Brown didn’t wear his tartan breeks when he appeared on national telly last weekend; what an opportunity missed. Still, the ladies seemed to love the kilt.


Fine playing and good chat from Gavin Stoddart on the BBC’s ‘Pipeline’ same weekend. Pity we don’t see Gavin out and about more on the piping scene.


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Sponsors for the South Florida Pipe & Drum Academy so far are Pipe Dreams, manufacturers of ‘Eezidrone’ drone reeds, and top bagpipemakers RT Shepherd & Co and David Naill & Co. Other sponsors will be added later and I would like to thank each of these companies for their generosity and support for the school we are establishing in Fort Lauderdale.


Photographer Gordon Bell has some very good pictures from the Wheel of Fortune contest here.


Delighted to find out that the late John MacKenzie’s piobaireachd ‘Salute to the Soldier’, highlighted on these pages a few months ago , may be included in the new book of Argylls pipe tunes currently in preparation. It would be a very worthwhile addition to the book in my view. Check it out here.


Reader Iain White from Gourock has responded to our question ‘who are the three pipe majors in history who have won major championships with two different Grade 1 bands?’

Iain: ‘One is definitely John Weatherston MBE BEM – the World Championship with the 277 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and Cowal with the Red Hackle Pipes and Drums. As to the other? Perhaps Donald Shaw Ramsey with Edinburgh Police and Invergordon Distillery or Robert Mathieson with Polkemmet and Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia.’

Correct Iain. Harry McNulty, Donald Shaw Ramsay and John Weatherston are the three Harry told me of. (His wins were with Edinburgh Police and British Caledonian Airways). I am not sure about Robert Mathieson however. Can any reader help?