Caritas Banner Grows in Stature

The Caritas Banner competition for under 18 piobaireachd playing was held yesterday, November 30, in the premises of its founders, George Watson’s College, Edinburgh. There were more than 60 young entrants from all over Scotland, and one even travelled from North Wales to take part. By Robert Wallace There were three events, Under 18 (two tunes required), 14&Under (own choice) and 14&Under Ground and Variation. Results were as follows: Under…

Lament for the Castle of Dunyveg and the Campbell Canntaireachd

Reader Tom MacKenzie has written from Canada: ‘What was your source for the typeset version of the Campbell Canntaireachd in the article on the Lament for the Castle of Dunyveg? Having the ‘scientific notation’ with the canntaireachd is, I think, an excellent idea. Now I can sing the tune with the canntaireachd. ‘I have the ‘Pipers Meeting’ book by Patrick Molard and Jack Taylor, but the tune is not in…

History: Mull Games More than Sixty Years Ago

Old programmes and publicity pamphlets are an excellent record of piping competitions and Highland Games, writes the Editor. Calum Maclean, Tobermory, has forwarded a couple from the Mull Games of the 1960s. In 1965 the date and venue were more less the same as today. Duty band was the Ceannloch Pipe Band from Campbeltown under ‘P/M MacCallum’ and ‘Drum Major Lang’. Can anyone give us more information on these two…

Northern Ireland: What chance of a United Kingdom Championships? 

The latest minutes of an RSPBA Directors meeting which took place  by video conference on Saturday 4th October indicate the dates of four of next season’s RSPBA Major contests, namely the British on 30th May at Ingliston, Europeans on 27th June at Perth, Scottish on 25th July in Dumbarton, and the Worlds on 14th/15th August at Glasgow Green. Only four majors, but no mention of a United Kingdom Championships and…

‘Piping’ World Record in Melbourne/ Stuart Liddell’s Winning MSR at London

The above video has received 160,680 views so far, writes the Editor. Thanks to the reader who forwarded the link. The video is of pipers gathered in Federation Square, Melbourne, Australia, on 12th Nov 2025. The organisers say 374 pipers took part creating a world record for pipers playing in ‘unison’. They did not play a proper pipe tune but rather passages from ‘It’s a Long Way to the Top…