Category: Features

PP Editor’s Blog: Grampian Placings/ Roddy Ross/ BB Letter/ Piobaireachd Analysis

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Patricia Grant has sent the final placings in the John Milne Fine Arts Grampian Games Association Piping League 2016. Well done to all those pipers, junior and senior, who supported these important north-east games. Patricia writes: ‘It is encouraging to see that there are new names appearing on the League placings and hopefully the efforts of the Grampian Games Association to promote all aspects of Highland games is paying off.  I know that…

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Hugh ‘Baggy’ MacMillan/ Duncan MacDiarmid/ Side Lights Review

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We regret to have to report the passing of London stalwart Hugh ‘Baggy’ MacMillan and of Duncan MacDiarmid, of the Atholl Highlanders. On Hugh, Roddy Livingstone of the Scottish Piping Society of London has sent this: ‘Former SPSL President Hugh ‘Baggy’ MacMillan passed away after a short illness in Croydon University Hospital in the early hours of Wednesday 7th September. ‘He was born into a piping family, his father Malcolm…

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Bagpipe Lung: The Definitive Report

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There was much brouhaha in the national press a couple of weeks ago about the dangers to pipers from fungal spores and bacteria in their instruments. Today we publish the actual scientific findings on which these reports – some of them misleading – were based. Although the article contains a lot of medical terminology (as one would expect), we believe it is worth a proper read so that pipers fully understand, as best…

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Scottish Championships Underway/ Skye: Dunvegan Medal Draw

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The penultimate pipe band championship of the season is underway at Levengrove Park, Dumbarton, west of Glasgow. 141 bands will compete for the Scottish Champions title in nine grades from Novice B to Grade 1. The contest concludes at 5.20pm with MacKenzie Caledonia’s performance in Grade 2. First results approximately an hour later. Get them as they are announced by joining Twitter and the RSPBA’s feed. Alternatively wait a few…

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PP Editor’s Blog: Highland Games/ Scottish & Worlds/Ulva and MacArthur Pipers

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I am not sure the prestige of Inveraray Games is helped by the pipers being given their piobaireachd a week before the contest. It makes things easier all round for the competitors but is much less of a test. Compare it with Braemar where it’s eight tunes, the chosen piece given at the bench. Promoters often justify the ‘early tune’ decision by saying it cuts down the number of breakdowns….

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