Someone on social media was asking about this picture. For those who don’t know, it is of the MacCrimmon Cairn at Borreraig on Skye. The piper is John MacFadyen and the listener Seton Gordon the writer, naturalist and piping judge. The occasion, early 1970s, would be the ‘penny and a piobaireachd’ ceremony which was organised annually (before my time) by the College of Piping. In return for the money and…

The death has been reported in Victoria, British Columbia, of James Hardie son of the famous pipe major RG Hardie. James was 63. Born in 1955 James, or Jimmy, followed his father into piping and was taught exclusively by him. He won all the juvenile and junior prizes available at that time. He was a very musical player with all his father’s devotion to phrasing and pointing coming through in…

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…