Author: Robert Wallace

Editor’s Notebook: Northern Winter School/ Callum Beaumont/ Croydon BB/ Hero Piper/

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To Germany today for the Northern Winter School. It has attracted its usual large crop of students, evidence of the sustaining interest in piping and drumming in that country. But not everywhere in Europe is doing so well. Looking around we can detect a falling off in a Scandinavia, once so strong. Where are the schools in Denmark and Sweden? Maybe there is stuff happening that I am unaware of….

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Piper Identification – Clan MacRae Link? / Scots Guards KO Result / Winter Storm Info

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Some information  for Cailean Maclean, writes Iain Duncan. I’ve been mulling over the photo identified as ‘Robertson, Skye,’ and I’d say with confidence this photo is post WWI, perhaps late 1920s, and he’s a civilian band piper.   His Glengarry cap-badge and sporran top both carry the crest of a right (dexter) hand holding a sword which belongs to the House of Inverinate, the Clan MacRae, and therefore, definitely civilian….

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Editor’s Notebook: Cowal Gathering/ Peter MacFarquhar/ Masters of Piobaireachd/ Reminders/ Kinglassie PB

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There are strong rumours, more than that actually, that next year’s Cowal Grade 1 pipe band competition is to be given a significant cash boost: a four figure first prize, perhaps circa. £2,000. Good money for the places too, with a total fund of £5,000. That would put Cowal back on the pipe band map wouldn’t it? Last year there was no G1 contest. I’m still hoping that some sort…

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Unidentified Pipers from Skye and Information on Peter MacFarquhar, Piper and Composer

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Cailean Maclean, former Piping Convenor at Skye Games: ‘A gentleman from South Uist sent me the attached photos. According to the captions they were from Skye. I have no idea who they are and would be grateful for any information about them.’ All of the photographs are studio staged, two outdoors and one in, and clearly two of the pipers were very successful competitors. The other, bottom left, has the stance and…

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History: Pipe Bands in the East of Scotland Part 3

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The response to these articles has been particularly encouraging and I am grateful to reader Ian Sword for forwarding this very interesting photograph [above]. Iain writes: ‘I enclose a photograph of Kinglassie and District Colliery Pipe Band winning the Grade 2 Scottish Pipe Band Championship at Blairgowrie in 1948, under the leadership of Pipe Major Sandy Burnside. ‘It was taken when I competed with the band on my 12th birthday…

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