PP Editor’s Blog: Schools Funding/ New Letters/ Donald McKillop

Robert Wallace

9 years ago

The annual 214 Glasgow Co. BB Reunion is on March 4.)

Three new letters added today on Willie Ross, Norrie Gillies and old pipes in North America. Read them here.

If anyone is any doubt about the amazing work being done by the Scottish Schools Pipe & Drum Trust have a look at their website to see the amount of cash that is being invested in young pipers and drummers. Here are a few stats for starters:

Morningside Schools: 2014/15 award £6,000 to Morningside Youth Pipe Band towards piping tuition in primary schools feeding into Boroughmuir High School and James Gillespie’s High School

Banff Academy: 2015/16 award £44,000 over two years towards the salary of a piping tutor for two years, working with 100 pupils from P5 to P7 in five primary schools and 30 pupils in Banff Academy.

Mull and Iona Schools: 2015/16 award £2,500 towards one day of drumming tuition supporting 25+ pupils, complementing council funded piping tuition and enabling the formation of a school’s band.

Vale of Atholl Pipe Band: 2015/16 –Highland & Perth City £16,350 for the 2015/16 and 2016/17 school sessions towards drumming and piping tuition and in-school workshops for over 130 pupils from P4 to P7 in 15 primary schools, subject to match funding and progress.

And that lot’s just for starters. There’s a pipe band hero in there somewhere and he deserves a knighthood and our respect.

Sandy Hain, the composer of the jig, Donald McKillop has kindly supplied an official version of the tune often erroneously named Duncan McKillop.