Highland Games: Tain, Glenisla Results & Lonach News

On Saturday 12th August, we were delighted to welcome Pipe Major Gordon Walker and Pipe Major D.J. MacIntyre as our judges, along with Jean Cameron, Lairg, and Michael Baird, Bonar Bridge, as our stewards, writes Duncan MacGillivray. Apart from a couple of heavy showers, the weather was largely forgiving, with some beautiful sunny spells for those competitors lucky to coincide, which meant the majority. Ms Mackay delivered a sweet Fair…

Editor’s Notebook: Worlds All Set/ Gold Medal Hero/ Island Bands Plea/ Lonach Axemen

Well who’s your money on? Boghall, Inveraray and Field Marshal have one major each this season. SFU were brilliant by all accounts the other evening. If SLOT up their game they could figure, as could the Power. And don’t rule out Shotts taking the top prize. Remember when Ryan Canning surprised everyone not so very long ago? One thing is sure, after four legs and the opinions of 16 judges,…

Blue MacMurchie’s Extensive Collection of Piping Artefacts For Sale/ New Interviews on Pipers’ Persuasion

After making pipes for 25 years in  West Calder, West Lothian, MacMurchie Bagpipes is re-locating to nearby Kirknewton, writes Blue MacMurchie. It’s a move of eight miles to where our business started. The move will be done over a few months. For three generations the family has collected more piping memorabilia than you can poke a stick at. With the pending move it now comes time to downsize this collection. It includes pipes,…

Northern Ireland Pipe Band Round Up

All-Ireland Pipe Band Championships: The spacious grounds of Ballymena Academy were the venue for Ireland’s premier pipe band competition which took place on Saturday 1st July. The weather was ever changing but never cold. The popularity and importance of this competition to the pipe band fraternity on the island of Ireland was illustrated by a large attendance as friendships were made or renewed around the arenas and tuning areas. The variable…

Mighty Creighton Takes British Solo Drumming Title

The British Adult Solo Snare Drumming Championship was held today in Glasgow and organised by the RSPBA’s Glasgow & West of Scotland Branch. The winner was Stephen Creighton, Leading Drummer of St Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band, Dublin. Piping for Stephen was Lee Moore also of SLOT (see pic below). 1st place – Stephen Creighton, St. Lawrence O’Toole 2nd place – Grant Cassidy, Uddingston 3rd place – Ryan King, Edradour Pitlochry…