The annual Lochaber Gathering was held in Fort William yesterday, writes the Editor. The day was a major success for Ontario piper Sean McKeown who took three firsts and a second prize. His awards included the Gold Lochaber Axe for Piobaireachd. Sean is pictured above (second from the right) with the other senior prizewinners (l to r) Andrew Lewis, Minnesota, Sandy Cameron, Roy Bridge and James McHattie, PEI. Fifty four…

Day Two at the Argyllshire Gathering saw the bulk of the ceol beag events taking place in a field adjacent to Mossfield Park, Oban, writes the Editor. Away from loudspeakers and starting guns, the new arrangement seemed to meet with approval from the competing pipers though there was a distinct lack of atmosphere on the main games field as a result. Provided there was no public address nearby, could a…

Four of the major piobaireachd competitions in world piping were held yesterday in Oban, Argyll. North American pipers were prominent in the lists with the Gold Medal going to Canada and the Silver to the U.S.A. Andrew Hayes’s win gave him his second Highland Society of London. He won his first at Inverness in 2010. Silver Medallist Ben McClamrock now competes for the Gold in 2020. The home front prospered…

By The Editor With the World Pipe band Championships over for another year the international piping focus switches from bands to solos and in particular to today’s Argyllshire Gathering at Oban. The Gathering is one of the two main piping competitions in the world; only next week’s Northern Meeting in Inverness rivals it in importance in the solo piper’s calendar. (Tickets for the NM are now on sale here.) Contests…

The weather held out for most of the day with a couple of heavy showers at the end of the competition. Five played in the juniors and eight in the seniors. Piob1 Sandy Cameron2 Dan Lyden3 Archie Drennan March1 Jason Craig2 Dan Lyden3 Sandy Cameron S&R1 Dan Lyden2 Archie Drennan3 Angus Nicolson U17 Piob1 Archie Clark2 Laura Robertson3 Ruaridh Drennan U17 March1 Laura Robertson2 Ronald MacIntosh3 Ruaraidh Drennan U17 S&R1…