I understand that this year both Oban and Inverness will have first prizes in excess of £1,000 for their senior ceol mor events, the Senior Piobaireachd and the Clasp, with a pro-rata for the other placings. Well done to the promoters and sponsors. Professional piping should be just that – well rewarded and at a level commensurate with the effort required to take these top awards. In return the pipers…

I have just read all the comments on our tuition fees story. They represent a wide range of views and are well put. Thanks to everyone who contributed and in particular to author Jeff Williams for putting his head above the parapet on this one. It is a complex subject with many strands of argument. As a traditional art, there is still the laudable ‘carrying stream’ approach: we hand on…

What about this blast from the past from Donald McBride. Donald writes, ‘This was taken in 1972 after we got back from the CNE Festival in Toronto. Barry Donaldson is second from the left back row. ‘Dad [P/M Willie McBride] is far left middle row and next to him is Jennifer Hutcheon and, next to Jennifer, Les Hutt.’ Jennifer is now an RSPBA adjudicator after years of sterling work at…

By the Editor I have heard a rumour that Perth Highland Games have excised all solo piping competitions from their programme for 2019. If this is the case, and I have no reason at the moment to doubt my information, it is another worrying blow to our Highland games tradition. I have contacted Perth Games Committee seeking confirmation, or as I sincerely hope, contradiction. However the Perth Games website has…

To the BBC for a ‘Pipeline’ interview ostensibly about the forthcoming Piobaireachd Society Conference. First time I had been in their Pacific Quay HQ in Glasgow and very impressive it is too. That said, it lacks some of the homely feel of Queen Maggie Drive in the west end and that warren of studios known to so many pipers and pipe bands over the years. Interviewer Gary West tells me…