In Search of Piping on the Beautiful Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides

This past week saw me take a visit to the Inner Hebridean islands of Eigg and Muck with my bagpipe for company. Eigg is small but there is plenty of walking and quite a few historical places of interest to visit. It’s mainly a farming community with a few other enterprises which keep everyone employed. Once part of Clan Ranald lands, the island was the subject of a community buyout…

Piping Well Represented as Blas Festival returns to the stage for Live Concerts & Cèilidhs Across the Highlands & Islands 

Gaelic music will be celebrated with live audiences once again across the Highlands and Islands as the Blas Festival returns to the stage next month – with an impressive line-up of traditional musicians and singers, writes Katie Mackenzie. Most weren’t able to perform for over 18 months due to the pandemic. Musicians including Capercaillie’s Karen Matheson, Donald Shaw and Charlie McKerron, Skipinnish front man and singer, Norrie MacIver and BBC Radio…

Nashville Rocks Stone Mountain/ World Online Piping and Drumming Championship Entries Open

A bright sunny day greeted crowds who turned out for the 49th Annual Stone Mountain Highland Games, in Stone Mountain, Georgia last Saturday, October 16.  This second major competition of the Southern USA fall season saw 16 bands in competition and a slightly reduced, yet still healthy, turnout of soloists.  A new layout of the Games site to reduce crowding due to COVID concerns was well received. By Bill Caudill…

New Victorian Era Trophy for Northern Meeting

News from a very generous Piping Press reader……. My name is Robert Baker, I live in Maclean, New South Wales, Australia. In 2018 I acquired, from Colin Ross, Ontario, Canada, two antique snuff mulls, belonging to his ancestors. I have included pictures. I am a piper, as were my sister, father, great-grand father and great uncle (Murdo Mackenzie, Gold Medallist 1895). Much as I enjoy my mulls, I also felt…

New RSPBA Website Up and Running, Reduced Band Fees for 2022 and for 2023 if Finances Permit

The new RSPBA website is up and running! After years of criticism about a clunky, non-user friendly website layout, the Association now have ‘an attractive site, the use of which will be of benefit to pipe bands worldwide’. Kathleen Robertson, RSPBA Marketing and Media Convenor, reporting to the Board of Directors: ‘Over the last eighteen months, the Board tasked us with a refresh of the Association website.  ‘I am delighted…