The Argyllshire Gathering Trust is delighted to announce that the Lochnell Intermediate Championship will be held at Lochnell Castle, Benderloch, on Saturday, 11th October 2025. This is by kind permission of the Earl of Dundonald and arranged by his son Lord Archie Cochrane and Hattie Mellor.
Invited pipers are all prominent winners on the 2025 solo circuit and are aged under 22: Bobby Allen, Douglas Baird, Kyle Cameron, Calum Dunbar, Christopher McCarten, Eala Niamh McIlhinney, Andrew Pattison, and Magnus Stone, USA.
By Torquil Telfer
Music is own choice but pipers must submit four piobaireachd, four marches, four strathspeys and four reels. Tunes selected by the judges will be given in the final tuning room.
The dress code is Highland dress. The competition is in two stages: a Piobaireachd competition starting at 10am, followed by an MSR competition starting around 2pm. A free buffet lunch is supplied by the hosts.
Prize money is as follows: Piobaireachd: 1 £120 2 £80 3 £60 4 £40; MSR: 1 £120 2 £80 3 £60 4 £40; Champion: £200. As part of the invitation, we are offering contestants £150 towards travel and accommodation. Overseas competitors will receive £500 towards their expenses.
The Overall Champion will have the highest aggregate score over the two competitions. In the event of a tie, the piper with the higher placing in the Piobaireachd will prevail.
The following trophies are presented to the winners: The Jimmy McIntosh MBE Memorial Trophy for Piobaireachd presented by Mrs Joyce McIntosh. Mr McIntosh was a former Oban Gold medallist and teacher of renown.
The trophy for the MSR is presented by McCallum Bagpipes in memory of Mr Willie McCallum Snr., Campbeltown, a man who dedicated his life to promoting piping in his native town and in wider Argyll.
In addition to these trophies, the Champion Piper receives the Lochnell Championship Cup and a Bronze Star presented by the Royal Scottish Pipers’ Society.
Lochnell Castle is situated north of Oban over the Connell Bridge:
Check out the castle website here.
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,…