Piping Convenor Robert Paterson reports…. A very hot day (Aug.17) for pipers at Crieff Highland Gathering began at 9.30am. Fifteen juniors competed first off in the light music with entrants from Methil to Massachusetts and what seemed like everywhere else in-between.
The senior light music gathered 17 players playing a straight through March, Strathspey and Reel from 12 noon onwards. The Piobaireachd attracted 15 players who played in the shade under trees in the top corner of Crieff’s Market Park.
Playing conditions for competitors were understandably tricky with such glorious, but roasting, weather and made even more of a challenge by each board being a polar opposite, piobaireachd in the cool shade and MSR in the sun.
Thank you to our sponsors for the solo piping Glenturret Distillery for backing the event and for their large gazebo which offered a bit of solar respite for listeners of the light music. A great day of piping.
Piob
1 Sean McKeown, Ontario
2 Angus MacPhee, Inverness
3 Kyle Cameron, Tobermory
4 Jamie Hawke, NZ
5 Callum Wynd, Dunblane
MSR
1 Arran Green
2 Anna Kummerlöw
3 Sean McKeown
4 Callum Carn
5 Walter Glendinning
U18 MSR: 1 Magnus Stone, USA 2 Sam Foote, NZ 3 Kai Hay 4 Alasdair Bullock 5 Jack Folan
U18 JIG: 1 Kai Hay 2 Sam Foote 3 Magus Stone 4 Nickolas Jackson, Aus. 5 Lily Robertson
Peter McCalister reports on the Ceòl Mòr …. Bill Wotherspoon was the senior judge and I was there as a member of the SPJA Supplementary Judges list. A high standard of competition held in blazing sun for most of the field, though the Piob. board was under a tree. A lot of players were gearing up for Oban and Inverness so medal tunes from the Set Tune list abounded. No tune was played twice.
As in previous years, benches for spectators at both the Piob. and light music boards made a big difference to the number of spectators. See photo below of the last piper on the board (Alistair Murray):
The winner was Sean McKeown with a lovely rendition of the Young Laird of Dungallon’s Salute. Perfect in every way. Close on his heels was Angus MacPhee with a well rounded performance of the Prince’s Salute. Kyle Cameron was third with the short, but powerful, You’re Welcome Ewan Locheil. Fourth was Jamie Hawke playing I Got a Kiss of the King’s Hand. Fifth was Callum Wynd with MacDougall’s Gathering.
Judges: E Anderson, J Banks, P McCalister, W Wotherspoon.
Glenfinnan Games
A beautiful day (Aug.16). Six in the Seniors and three in the Juniors.
Piobaireachd
1 Finlay Johnston
2 Matt Pantaleoni
3 William McCallum
4 Alistair Murray
March: 1 Finlay Johnston 2 William McCallum 3 Kyle Cameron 4 Ewen Henderson
S&R: 1 Finlay Johnston 2 William McCallum 3 Matt Pantaleoni 4 Kyle Cameron
U17 Piob, March and S&R: 1 Lily Robertson 2 Iain MacLeod 3 Alastair MacLeod
Judges: C MacBeth, I MacFadyen, M Robertson.
Nairn Games, August 16
Judge Lewis Barclay reports: Low turnout at Nairn due to Worlds weekend and other games on. As well judging I was presented with a bit of piping history in the form of Pipe Major Brian MacRae’s Kilberry book. It was signed by the great man himself with a further inscription:
‘Pipe-Major Brian MacRae, RVM, Sovereign’s Piper, 1980-95, was born on March 27, 1942. He died on September 3 2000 aged 58. A proud Godon Highlander.‘
I am very grateful to Tom Smith who has graciously passed the book into my safe keeping:
U15 March: 1 Mirren Silver 2 Larry Presslie 3 Finlay MacMillan
U15 S&R: 1 Mirren Silver 2 Larry Presslie 3 Finlay MacMillan
U18 MSR: 1 Arran Sutherland 2 Charlie Holder 3 Myles Macrae
U18 Piob.: 1 Mirren Silver 2 Larry Presslie 3 Charlie Holder
Open March: 1 Calum Alex MacMillan 2 Anna Kummerlöw
Open S&R: 1 Anna Kummerlöw 2 Calum Alex MacMillan
Open Jig: 1 Anna Kummerlöw 2 Calum Alex MacMillan
Open Piob.: 1 Anna Kummerlow 2 Suzy Klinger
Ballater Games Seniors
Duncan Watson reports…. Ballater Highland Games took place on Thursday 14 August, 2025. It is a big day in the Deeside town which lies about 40 miles west of Aberdeen.
Driving through the normal sleepy streets to get to the games field was a slow process with huge crowds of people lining the road.
In the morning and going into the afternoon the weather was very warm to the point of being uncomfortable. THEN! as per the forecast, thunderclaps over the iconic hill ‘Craigendarroch’ and the town was caught in torrents. Monaltrie Park, the location of the games, did not escape. Hailstones, some like golf balls, albeit a bit smaller, landed! Oh, I forgot – it is on piping I should be reporting!
Really there was not much to report. Sadly, we had only three adults in the piobaireachd and two in the light music. Had there been more they would have been bombarded with hailstones!
Piobaireachd: 1 Anna Kummerlöw, Lament for the Viscount of Dundee 2 Josh Chandler, Kinlochmoidart’s Lament No.1 3 Sussanne Klinger, Old Men of the Shells
March: 1 Anna Kummerlöw 2 Josh Chandler; S&R: 1 Josh Chandler 2 Anna Kummerlöw
Judges: L Barclay, N Matheson, J Taylor, D Watson.
- Lonach Games are on Saturday August 23 with a first prize in Piobaireachd of £500. The blurb: ‘The solo piping competitions begin at 10.30am (Piobaireachd) and run throughout the day. The cash prizes for the top-three finishers in the Piobaireachd are: 1st £500 (plus the Charles Morrison Medal), 2nd £300, and 3rd £200. The contest is open to any piper over 18, with no grading requirement from the Competing Pipers Association. Competitors are required to prepare three tunes for the competition. Entries on the day at the Secretary’s tent before 10am.’
Books
The best written piping tutor books in the world are available from the Piping Press Shop. They cover all aspects of light music and piobaireachd. The only way to start a piping career!
If it’s new music you are after check out Niall Matheson’s superb digital book ‘The Fyrish Collection’ and other digital downloads such as Donald Sutherland’s Collection and the Donald Morrison Collection. And don’t forget Robert Wallace’s acclaimed ‘Glasgow Collection’ with tunes such as the Detroit Highlanders, Mrs John MacColl, the Barlinnie Highlander, Granny MacLeod and many, many more.
