Shotts website reports today……Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band is delighted to announce that Emmett Conway (above) has been appointed as Pipe Major with effect from November, 2018. Emmett has spent the last six years playing in New Zealand Police Pipe Band with the last four years serving as Pipe Major. Prior to this, Emmett played with the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band for around seven years where he gained invaluable…

Katie Mackenzie of the Blas Festival has sent the following…. This year’s Blas Festival, a showcase of the best of Highland culture, features a healthy and impressive line-up of pipers as well as celebrating some of the great pipers of the past. A name synonymous with all things related to Highland bagpipes will be the centre of attraction on the first day of this September’s Blas festival. The music of the…

Entries were capped but that still made for a full day of piping. The piobaireachd began at 10am and concluded at 6pm. 26 played. The standard was mixed but all the prize winners played well and there were a number of other performances which were spoiled by basic errors. The winner was Gordon McCready from Renfrew. This was Gordon’s second Braemar Gold Medal. He is pictured above outside the Royal Pavilion with his…

Shortly after hearing the news that he had won the much sought after Inverness Silver Medal P/M Ross McCrindle of the Army School of Piping spoke to the Editor. Ross is pictured above outside the Eden Court Theatre, scene of his success. A clearly delighted Ross said: ‘It is maybe a cliché but this is a dream come true for me. It really is. It has been a long time coming….