I agree with Piping Convenor Alan Forbes that the Northern Meeting’s two-day festival of piping was a great success. With the quality of the playing on show it could be considered nothing less. I sat through all of the Clasp and Gold Medal competitions bar four performances, and heard the 40 or so tunes from a position only five rows back from the stage. Important that. Up in the gods…

The Scottish Schools Pipes & Drums Trust have sent this: Youngsters in Lossiemouth and district schools are to be given the chance to learn the pipes and drums thanks to a funding boost from a national music charity. It is expected that enough pupils will take up the challenge to allow a schools pipe band to be formed. Youngsters will have the chance to try out the practice chanter and…

‘I’ve been playing pipes since I was nine and started competing as an amateur in 1994. I’m a classical pianist first and foremost, though my piano has taken a back seat in the last 10 years since I took the plunge, leaving the amateur ranks. I was lucky enough to win the Silver Medal in 2012 at Oban. By coincidence I could only get a limited time off work that…

Good attendance on a warm sunny day. Over £2000 in prize money across the events. Good standard of playing across all grades. Pictured above is confined piobaireachd winner Roger Huth. Confined events – Pipers Graded B&C by the CPA Piobaireachd 1. Roger Huth – Lament for Mary MacLeod 2. Joe Davies – The Desperate Battle 3. Kyle Shead – A Flame of Wrath for Squinting Patrick 4. Peter Candy –…

The 2018 Northern Meeting Piping Competitions came to a close this evening in Eden Court Theatre. The winners are pictured above with contest officials and the Lord Provost of Inverness. The big winner today was Callumn Beaumont, Bo’ness who won the coveted Gold Clasp, his third. Overall Champion Piper was Angus MacColl who placed second in the Clasp for the sixth time though he has also been outright winner on…