Connor Jardine, Dan Nevans and myself have been working on publishing a collection of pipe tunes based on Lanarkshire tunes/composers. We’re now ready to announce the book publicly.
We have been researching music within the famous, but now defunct, Cameronians army regiment and the wider Lanarkshire community with the aim of collating and preserving the music, new and old, to create ‘The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Pipe Music Collection’.
By Cameron May
The book will include tunes that were composed by pipers who served in the Cameronians and pipers from the Lanarkshire area. This project was inspired by the successful ‘Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Pipe Music Collection’. The team hopes that pipers benefit from the new collection as much as they have from the Argylls collection. The book has three main objectives:
- To raise awareness of the regiment and its history, and to tell the stories of the pipers who served.
- To re-publish tunes by those who served in the Cameronians, or were composed by Lanarkshire pipers, and that are at risk of being lost.
- To give modern-day Lanarkshire pipers a platform to have their tunes published.
If you have any pipe tunes that fit the above criteria, please get in touch with the team via the ‘The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Pipe Music Collection’ Facebook page, or by emailing cameronianscollection@gmail.com. Nearly 200 pipe tunes have already been identified, but there are no doubt others that can be included in the book, therefore all suggestions are welcome.
If anyone has any stories or images of relatives/friends who served as pipers in the Cameronians, the team would love to hear from you.
The regiment takes its name from Richard Cameron a Covenanter whose church services were banned by the Government in the late 17th century. Cameron posted guards at his services to protect worshippers, hence their name.
The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was formed in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 26th Cameronian Regiment (formed in 1689) and the 90th Perthshire Light Infantry (formed in 1794). Three Battalions of the regiment went to France in 1914, with further battalions serving overseas in Gallipoli, Salonika, Egypt , Palestine and India.
By the end of the war, three men of The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) had been awarded the Victoria Cross and hundreds more awarded other medals and honours for bravery and exceptional service. More than 7,000 men of the regiment would lose their lives during WW1.
In the Second World War, the 1st Battalion distinguished itself in the Far East as part of the famous Chindits. The 2nd Battalion was deployed to France as part of the ill-fated British Expeditionary Force and was evacuated from Dunkirk after heavy fighting. The Battalion would later see action in Madagascar and Italy before being deployed again to the North-West Europe theatre alongside the 6th, 7th and 9th Battalions. More than 1,200 men of the regiment would lose their lives during WW2.
During the army reforms of the 1960s the Cameronians chose to disband in 1968 rather than amalgamate with another Lowland Scottish regiment.
We are holding a composition contest to celebrate the launch of the book. We want to provide composers with a Lanarkshire background or ties to The Cameronians, an opportunity to have a tune published in a Lanarkshire book, with a particular focus on giving people aged 21 and under a creative outlet.
There are three tune categories, with the winning submission from each being included in the book. The categories are as follows:
- A competition-style 2/4 March with submissions open to any age group. This will be named in honour of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Association.
- A hornpipe, with submissions limited to composers who are 21 or under on the 1st of August 2025. Name TBD.
- A 3/4 March, with submissions limited to composers who are 16 or under on the first of August 2025. Name TBD.
Submissions are welcome from composers who are from, or live in Lanarkshire, have a relative or teacher who served in the Cameronians, or who are members of a Lanarkshire Pipe Band.
Submissions are welcome for multiple contests if the composer meets the age criteria. The closing date for entries is the 30th of April 2025. Submissions can be emailed to cameronianscollection@gmail.com. Please include the completed entry form (Composition Contest Entry Form.pdf), and a PDF and audio recording of the tune.
Research Team
Dan Nevans (Airdrie) is a third-generation piper and a member of the teaching team at the National Piping Centre. Dan is member of Shotts and Dykehead. His connection to The Cameronians is through his paternal great-grandfather who served with the 2nd battalion during WW1. Dan performs to this day with his great-grandfather’s regimental cap badge proudly displayed on his glengarry.
Cameron May (Dillarburn) started piping aged 10, being taught by his dad Robin May. He then joined Coalburn IOR where he was taught by Donald Williams. Later instruction came from Ross Cowan and Robert Wallace. Cameron is currently P/Sgt. of Coalburn, Grade 3A Champion of Champions in 2023 and now Grade 2. He has had a successful solo career at contests around Scotland.
Connor Jardine (Airdrie) first learned to play pipes at Glenboig Pipe Band. He later joined the North Lanarkshire Schools’ band and was taught by Ross Cowan. Following this he joined Inveraray, winning the Worlds in 2019 and 2024. Two of Connor’s great-uncles served with The Cameronians during WW2.
