UKs Return to Northern Ireland/ Jimmy McIntosh MBE Workshop Weekend

The United Kingdom Pipe Band Championships will be held in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Saturday, 13 June 2026. Securing the fifth major is a significant success for the RSPBA and its Chief Executive Colin Mulhearn and his team. They had come under criticism for not fulfilling the statutory number of championships in 2025, and until now only four had been announced for 2026. These are: British Championships, Ingliston, May 30;…

CLASP Online Winners/ Recognition for Cameron

CLASP, the Competition League for Amateur Solo Pipers, runs three ‘live online’ competitions each year, writes Margaret Houlihan. This format was introduced in Covid times, but continues to grow in popularity attracting amateur adult pipers to compete ‘live’ from the comfort of their own home and from anywhere in the world. Once the live video performance is captured, these are emailed to the judges for consideration. This gives the judge a visual…

Editor’s Notebook: Jamie Troy/ Ian’s Funeral/ Talk Piob/ Solo Judges/ Letter

A nice, well-deserved comment from reader Bruce Young about the late Jamie Troy: ‘I remember maybe 15 years ago ordering reeds. I was sent a dozen and told to pick what I liked and return the rest with a cheque. I kept them all and still have a couple hidden away. The piping community is the best, and he was the best of the best.’ I couldn’t agree more Bruce….

Editor’s Notebook: PS Collection/ Ian’s Funeral/ Drum Solos/ Kintyre Collection/ Ben Recital/ Letters

A five-year long revision of the Piobaireachd Society’s collection of Books 1-16 has been completed. It took many hours of work by myself and Society Music Editor Jack Taylor but the results are very satisfying. Many of the anomalies and errors accumulated in the 100 years since the collection was begun by Sheriff Grant of Rothiemurchus and Archibald Campbell, Kilberry. No one plays a crunluath a mach in Lament for…

P/M Ian McLellan 1937-2025

Ian McLellan, probably the greatest pipe major in the history of pipe bands, has passed away peacefully at his home in Bearsden near Glasgow. He was 88 and had been in indifferent health for several months. Ian led the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band to twelve Grade 1 World Championships, six of them in consecutive years. He secured his first title in 1976 and his last in 1991. He was also…