Highlands & Islands Festival 2025 Results

Another successful competition was held in the Oban High School today, Saturday, May 3, with healthy entries in all competitions. Senior Champion Piper Angus J MacColl, Benderloch, is pictured above. P/A Ceol Mor for Cooper Salver (1st) and Dugald MacColl Memorial Trophy (2nd).1 Sandy Cameron, Old Men of the Shells2 Brodie Watson-Massey, Lord Lovat’s Lament3 Angus J MacColl, MacLeod of Raasay’s Salute4 Cameron May, Lament for the Earl of Antrim…

Editor’s Notebook: Highlands & Islands Festival/ Duncan Johnstone Tune/ College Video/ Piobaireachd Society

All roads lead to Oban today for tomorrow’s Highlands & Islands Festival. There are events for all grades and age groups in both senior and junior. Venue is Oban High School from 9am. There is nothing to beat live music. The weather is set fair. There’s great sea food on the pier. Why not get in the car or jump on a bus and enjoy some West Highland air and…

Editor’s Notebook: College Film/ James Campbell Medal/ Soldier Piper in Romania/ Saturday Events

Tom Johnstone: Just stumbled across the College’s ‘Follow Me, I’m Right Behind You’ video today. Very entertaining and honest, and very moving about the College and its history and of course subsequent events. A few tears. On a parallel, John Nevans and I are are teaching a Swiss band called ‘Scotch Watch’ who will play in 4b at the Worlds and it is so similar! One guy in the band…

A Look Back at the Making of a Live Piping Album

Rob Boyd in California: ‘Dear Robert, Thank you very much for sharing the Piping Press Guide to the Games. You have no idea how much this is appreciated. ‘I was your steward at the Dan Reid Memorial in San Francisco many years ago. Your ‘Chance Was a Fine Thing’ is one of my all-time favourite recordings! If you ever have an opportunity to talk about the making of that album, I think…

SPA Professional Review

I sat through a few tunes in the C Piobaireachd and then the whole of the P/A. At the conclusion of an unbroken four hour stint I wandered off for refreshment. I looked over my notes. I jotted down my prediction. Here it is: It’s not often you get it exactly as the judges call it. (In this instance they were Ronnie MacShannon and Euan Anderson.) Usually you are too…