The piping and pipe band worlds are holding up well despite a summer decimated by the virus emergency, writes the Editor. Piping Press will continue to do its bit to keep everyone’s enthusiasm bubbling along until the sunny uplands of 2021 appear on the horizon. Today we are offering free of charge the second set of three quality portraits of significant piping figures of the past. Readers can download these…

I must say the standard of paintings we have received for our Lockdown Challenge has been terrific. Witness the above detail from artist Scott Kish. It is of piper Robert Dowson and is in watercolour. The size is 11″ x 15″. We’ll keep the challenge going till the end of July at which point it will be over to judge Robert Mathieson who has kindly agreed to select the winners….

The Argyllshire Gathering and the Highland Society of London have agreed that the first leg of this year’s MacGregor Memorial Piobaireachd contest for pipers aged under 22 will be conducted via online video submission. The MacGregor is one of the most prestigious ceòl mòr contest in the world and always attracts an international field. The winner is usually guaranteed a place in the following year’s Silver Medal at Oban but…

Mull-based artist John Archbold has submitted the above for our lockdown painting challenge. John writes: ‘A piper friend of mine wondered if I would be interested in entering. So here it is. Title – The Chief’s Piper at Duart Castle; Medium – Mixed Media; Size – A2 (59 x 40 cm approx.). The piper is Calum MacLean, Tobermory.‘ John’s bio reads: ‘John Archbold DA (b. 1954) Studied at Glasgow School…