The Donald MacDonald Cuach piobaireachd competition will return after six years on Friday, 30th May, against a backdrop of controversy surrounding the sale of its historic venue, Armadale Castle.
Four pipers—Alasdair Henderson, Finlay Johnston, William McCallum, and Stuart Liddell—will compete at the isle of Skye landmark, which was unexpectedly put on the market in March by the Clan Donald Lands Trust (CDLT).
By Alison McGillivray
The competition’s revival comes amid growing community outrage over the Trust’s decision to sell the 19,200-acre estate without prior consultation. The sale of the castle, museum and gardens is expected to follow soon. The asking price is close to £7m.
‘I believe the proposed sale of the Clan Donald Centre would be both a tragedy for the clan and for the local community,’ said Lord Godfrey MacDonald, current clan chief. ‘I implore the trustees to take the time to consult with the clan and the community and to consider all alternatives for addressing the financial issues facing the trust.’
The competition will be hosted at Lord MacDonald’s Stables, a historic building recently flagged for ‘unforeseen’ repairs, raising safety concerns. The event is sponsored by CDLT trustee Bruce Macdonald, The Glencoe Foundation and CDLT’s Gaelic Performing Arts Trust.
Local politicians have joined the chorus of criticism. MP Angus MacDonald, whose grandfather was the Trust’s first chair in the 1970s, described the relationship between the CDLT trustees and the local community as ‘broken beyond repair’. He advocates for proceeds from the estate sale to be reinvested in the castle, gardens and museum—facilities he considers vital for tourism and employment in south Skye.
The fate of Armadale Castle’s award-winning museum collection remains uncertain. The Trust has provided no clarity regarding the future of important Macdonald genealogical archives and rare artefacts, including a set of pipes crafted by Duncan MacDougall for Lord MacDonald circa 1880. Many items were donated by community members and hold significant cultural value for Sleat.
In March, young pipers from the community led a protest at Armadale. Co-organizer Iain MacKinnon explained: ‘The protest is primarily intended to express the shock and displeasure of the community at the way the Trust announced this sale without any consultation. It has caused anger, anxiety and fear, especially for those whose livelihoods depend on the estate.’
The Donald MacDonald Cuach honours a distinguished Skye-born piper who was once ‘the leading pipe maker, a top piper, collector and editor of pipe tunes, and the first to succeed in publishing collections both of pìobaireachd and light music’.
Dr. Andy Williamson, Chair of Sleat Community Council, expressed disappointment and notes the irony in celebrating such a community-minded figure as Donald MacDonald ‘while disregarding the concerns of local communities whose futures hang in the balance’.
The Inverness-based Scottish Land Commission said: ‘When large areas of land change hands, we encourage the seller to engage directly with local communities in advance. While there is currently no legal requirement for sellers to do this, it should be considered responsible practice.
‘This hasn’t happened in this case, and we urge the seller to take sufficient time to engage with the community and enable them to properly explore their options.’
The competition’s return remains overshadowed by questions about the CDLT’s financial management and its disregard for the community it was established to serve.
John MacKenzie’s Collection – digital book
First published in 1973, this outstanding collection is re-issued here in digital format with kind permission of the late Pipe Major’s family. The book runs to more than 50 pages. It is offered at a nominal price to cover overheads. It contains outstanding melodies such as the 6/8s Tug Argan Gap and MacNeills of Ugadale, the Wedding Waltz, Neuve Chappelle, Joe McGann’s Fiddle, the Saffron Kilt,…
