The Glass Chanter, awarded annually to the piper who achieves most points at Scotland’s North Highland Games, has been won for the third year in a row by Angus MacPhee, Inverness, writes Steven McCabe
The trophy and other prizes were presented to Angus last Friday night, 6th November 2026, during his very well received recital for Inverness Piping Society at Inverness Golf Club.
The 2026 Glass Chanter, was kindly sponsored by Sir Patrick Grant of Grants of Dalvey and Andrew MacKenzie (Highland Historian).
Sir Patrick is pictured above (right) with Michael Baird and Jean Cameron who are heavily involved in promoting the Glass Chanter competition.
As well as the handsome trophy, Angus won £200 and a personalised engraved Grants of Dalvey sporran flask.
The carefully compiled results showed that he emerged as the top scoring aggregate piper for last summer’s North Highland Games Circuit. In second place was Calum Dunbar, with Norman Gillies third.
The Highland Games which count towards the title are: Inverness, Durness, Assynt, Helmsdale, Halkirk, Strathpeffer, Tain and Glenurquhart.
Unfortunately, due to financial difficulties, Dornoch Games were cancelled this year at short notice. We hope this historic games will return to the circuit next year, and if so results from there will count towards the overall title once more.
I would like to make a special mention of Sir Patrick Grant and Andrew MacKenzie for their sponsorship this year, and to Jean Cameron who continues to steward the games and promote the trophy.
This is the third year in a row Angus has won the Glass Chanter but competition is getting stiffer. There was definitely an increase in the number of pipers at these Games this year with several pipers from overseas competing. This is great to see and augurs well for the future.
- Jean Cameron is anxious to find out more about the original North Games competition. Jean writes: ‘I wonder, can anyone throw light on when the Glass Chanter competition started and by whom? I think it was in the 1980s. Over the years there have been several, and at one stage it was referred to as the Achergil Glass Chanter.’ Contact Jean on: wcameron883@btinternet.com
