To Inverness today for the 2026 Northern Meeting, the second of the two major solo piping gatherings to be held within the past week. This year is unique in that the Clasp competition has been split into two Thursday heats, six from each going forward to a final on Friday.
Most of the top players would be in Inverness on the Thursday anyway for the Former Winners’ MSR but the heats will probably mean a second night in the Highland capital.
Whilst landing the promoters quite a bit of additional expense, the heats mean that whoever wins the Clasp on Friday will have had to work that bit harder than his predecessors to gain the coveted award – making it a very special year.
The Meetings’ schedule is Gold Medal, Silver Medal, Clasp Heats, A MSR, Former Winners’ MSR on Thursday, and Clasp Final, B MSR, H&Js, Juniors on Friday. Get along to Eden Court Theatre and support the event if you can. You are guaranteed some magnificent piping.
Bronze Medal
The Competing Pipers’ Association Bronze Medal contest was held last weekend in the old College of Piping building in Otago Street, Glasgow. There was a record entry of 30.
The winner was Kyle Shead who thus gains automatic entry to the Silver Medal 2027. Kyle is pictured above with judge John Wilson. Full result: 1 Kyle Shead, Farewell to the Laird of Islay 2 Ben Mulhearn, Battle of Bealach nam Brog 3 Fraser Allison 4 Calum Dunbar 5 Calum Bevan; Judges: C Drummond, R Livingstone, J Wilson.
Pipe Band News
Very sorry to hear of the passing of Sandy Bell. Such a great servant to Shotts &. Dykehead. A star piper during the glory days under Tom MacAllister and of course the subject of Tom’s popular tune ‘Sandy’s New Chanter’. Sandy went on to serve as Pipe Major in the early 80s, and as a committee member and Chairman delighted in their successes in later decades.
We had a comment recently from someone strongly against our suggestion of a static position for pipe band judges. His grounds were that they needed to be able to move about to accommodate changes in wind direction. No, I am not joking. I have spared his embarrassment by not including his name here. No one has ever said static adjudicators couldn’t move if they really had to, and the vision of them scurrying round the circle trying to ‘catch the wind’ sounds like something out of an Ealing comedy. This is a serious topic – so serious comments only please.
The RSPBA has begun its search for a new Chief Exec to take over from Colin Mulhern in March. Put your hat in the ring here.
The Police Feds band are looking for a new lead drummer. Statement: ‘The band enters this next chapter from a position of real strength. Our pipe corps is in a very healthy position having returned to the prize list during the 2026 season and competed at the World Pipe Band Championships recently.
‘We are now looking for an enthusiastic, ambitious and driven Leading Drummer with the ability and vision to build and lead a top-level drum corps that matches the calibre of our pipers. We are looking for someone with a passion for excellence, strong leadership and team-building skills, and the drive to help take the band to the next level in 2027 and beyond. Expressions of interest and applications should be sent to P/M Duncan Nicholson at duncannicholson@hotmail.co.uk.’
Majors for 2027 have been announced as follows: British – 29th May, Ingliston; Scottish – 24th July, Dumbarton; Europeans – 7th August, Perth; Worlds – 13th & 14th August, Glasgow; United Kingdom – TBC. (The Chief Exec. told us at Perth that this last was in the bag! Hopefully there will be confirmation v soon.)
Horst Kraus
I was saddened to hear of the passing of Horst, a regular in my class at the Northern Winter School in Germany (see picture below from 2017). He had not been in good health for several months. Horst loved Scotland, the pipes and piobaireachd. He was piper to Farquharson of Invercauld and regularly travelled over for clan events. Condolences to this fine gentleman’s family.
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