The Glenfiddich Champion for 2020 is Stuart Liddell, Inveraray. He is pictured above with the trophy in this study by D Maxwell. Stuart was placed second in ceol mor and in MSR to take the overall title. Runner-up overall was Jack Lee.
The annual competition, this was the 47th, was held as usual in the Great Hall at Blair Castle, Blair Atholl, Perthshire, but without an audience. The livestream was considered a success and was watched by piping enthusiasts around the world.
Piobaireachd placings:
1 Jack Lee, Lament for Colin Roy MacKenzie
2 Stuart Liddell, In Praise of Morag
3 Finlay Johnston, Rory MacLoude’s Lament
4 Roderick MacLeod, Battle of Auldearn No.2
5 Angus MacColl, Unjust Incarceration
MSR placings:
1 William McCallum, Angus Campbell’s Farewell to Stirling, Shepherd’s Crook, Bessie MacIntyre
2 Stuart Liddell, Duke of Roxburgh’s Farewell to] Blackmount Forest, Cat Lodge, Drumlithie
3 Roderick MacLeod, Marchioness of Tullibardine, Piper’s Bonnet, Grey Bob
4 Bruce Gandy, Leaving Lunga, Ewe wi’ the Crookit Horn, Stornoway Castle
5 Iain Speirs, Royal Scottish Pipers’ Society, Tulloch Gorm, John MacKechnie
Invited pipers were: Finlay Johnston, Callum Beaumont, Jack Lee,
Roderick MacLeod, Angus MacColl, Stuart Liddell, Iain Speirs, William McCallum, Connor Sinclair and Bruce Gandy. Bruce and Jack had to isolate for two weeks after arriving from Canada.
The invitees list was compiled commencing with the defending Glenfiddich Champion and the winner of the Bratach Gorm and Overall Champion from the 2019 Scottish Piping Society of London Annual Competition – the only qualifying event to take place.
To bring the total to 10, invitations were extended to still competing past Glenfiddich Champions and, because of duplications, to second overall placings.
The judges were: Piobaireachd – I MacFadyen, W Morrison, J Taylor; March, Strathspey and Reel – W Cowan, C MacLellan, I McLellan.
Points are awarded in each discipline and the piper with most declared champion. Pipers had to submit six piobaireachd and six marches strathspeys and reels of their own choice. The competition is sponsored by the William Grant Foundation.
There was no Balvenie Medal for Services to Piping presented this year.