In 2002 FMM won the drumming in the Medley at the Worlds. It set me on my road with what I was going to do with the corps; more hard work, a few extra players, looking at our instruments, how our instruments worked, checking the final detail of our presentation of our drumming by introducing dynamics. The great Shotts & Dykehead were, in my book, losing some of their lights…

Lonach Highland Gathering and Games and its iconic march were due to be held on Saturday, 22 August. Their cancellation is a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. This is the first time since 1945 that the gathering and the march of the Lonach Highlanders, a 220-strong body of men dressed in kilts and full Highland regalia, have not been held, writes Ian MacLaren. Held in the Aberdeenshire village of Bellabeg in Strathdon, the…

The PP Lockdown Challenge continues and here is a tune from Ian Ruari Finlayson and his son Hector, appropriately named ‘Confined to Barracks’: Ian Ruari: ‘Hector is 12 years old and pupil of Niall Stewart, Kyle of Lochalsh. That is Rassay to the far right of picture and Skye on the left in the distance.’ All tune submissions will be judged by P/M Barry Donaldson and winners announced later so…

By The Editor Sources tell me that the Government’s roadmap to ease Covid-19 restrictions, to be announced this weekend, will be set out in five phases. These phases will be on a three week rolling programme. The phases would commence on the following dates: Phase 1 – 18th MayPhase 2 – 8th JunePhase 3 – 29th JunePhase 4 – 20th JulyPhase 5 – 10th August If coronavirus cases begin to…

I’m hosting a Zoom meeting for the Piobaireachd Society on Wednesday evening at 8pm UK time to which all members are invited. If you are one of the enlightened you should have already received the link; if not please get in touch. Peter McCalister continues to do a great job for the Society with the Facebook tunes initiative but I thought we should do a bit more. Not sure how…