This prestigious competition for junior professional pipers will be held at Lochnell Castle, Benderloch, Argyll, on October 2. Ten leading young pipers aged 22 and under have been invited to take part.
Most were finalists in the recent MacGregor Memorial Competition run by the Argyllshire Gathering on behalf of the Highland Society of London. Others have developed significant track records since leaving the junior ranks.
Those invited are:
Bobby Allen
Ruairidh Brown
Finlay Cameron
Ross Conner
Hamish Drennan
Andrew Ferguson
Luke Kennedy
Cameron May
Anna Smart
Brodie Watson-Massey
The dress code is Highland dress. The competition will be in two stages, a Piobaireachd competition followed by a March, Strathspey and Reel (MSR).
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Each competitor will submit four tunes of their own choice for both the Piobaireachd and the MSR. The judges will choose one from each category for the pipers to perform.
The winner will have the highest aggregate score over the two competitions. In the event of a tie, the piper who scored the highest points in the Piobaireachd will be named the winner. Prizemoney is as follows:
Piobaireachd: 1st £120, 2nd £80, 3rd £60, 4th £40
MSR: 1st £120, 2nd £80, 3rd £60, 4th £40
Champion: £200
As part of the invitation the promoters are also offering substantial travel and accommodation expenses to each competitor.
There will be a trophy for each section winner and also for the overall Champion Piper. Sponsors include the Piobaireachd Society and members of the Argyllshire Gathering Trust.
How to get there:
Hattie Mellor of the organising committee said: ‘This Championship has been created in celebration of the Argyllshire Gathering’s 150th year since its inauguration and aspires to bring together the best young Scottish pipers in its first year, and to grow internationally in years to come, but exclusively focusing on young talent.
‘We hope it will be another springboard for young pipers into the senior ranks.’
The event will begin at 11am with the Piobaireachd, followed by the MSR at 3pm.
For the audience, use the map above to get there. The Lochnell Castle address is: Benderloch, Oban PA37 1QT. There is ample parking. The competition will take place in the Chapel with the kind permission of the Earl of Dundonald and will be hosted by his son, Lord Archie Cochrane.
