Category: History

Famous Pipers: Remembering John Scott, South Uist

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John Scott was a larger than life character in the Glasgow piping scene in the ’60s and ’70s, writes the editor. A fine piper himself, he regularly stewarded at the Scottish Pipers and Uist and Barra competitions and kept the audience entertained with his wild brogue and pawky humour. He was also a noted composer. Readers will probably know his reel Dolina MacKay (Dolly was the Treasurer of the SPA…

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Lochore Pipe Band and Legendary Drumming Tutor Robert McLaren

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I previously prepared an article about the history of pipe bands in the East of Scotland, which was published on Piping Press in October 2023.  Included in the article were the names of many pipe band leaders and individuals no longer with us who were from the East, or were based there, and who greatly contributed to the development of the SPBA/RSPBA and pipe band music in general.  The article…

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Kilberry Book of Ceol Meadhonach-‘Middle Music’- Now Available in Digital Format

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A digital version of the historic ‘Kilberry Book of Ceòl Meadhonach’ is now available for purchase on Piping Press. First issued in 1909, the book was compiled and edited by Captain John Campbell, Kilberry, and his brother Archibald. The book has 43 tunes each with a note on its provenance. The music is neither piobaireachd nor simple slow march but somewhere between both – hence the title. The tunes are…

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Piobaireachd Society Announce Details of Annual Conference

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The 2025 Piobaireachd Society Annual Conference will take place in the Royal George Hotel, Perth. The dates are March 28 – 30. Society committee meetings are held on the Friday afternoon and then members and friends gather in the evening for a relaxed meal. The conference proper begins the following morning. There are two papers before lunch and two after, each of around 40 minutes. Talk 1: 9.30 – 10.15am: ‘Gems from…

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Editor’s Notebook: Inveraray Outstanding in 2024/ PS Summer School/ Bob’s Funeral/ Aberdeen Piping Society/ Ken’s Pipes

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Looking back over the past 12 months it is hard to escape from the fact that the outstanding pipers and band of 2024 are Stuart Liddell, Alasdair Henderson and Inveraray. Coupling success on the band field with that on the solo board is rare, yet only a few days after winning their third World Championships P/M Liddell and P/Sgt Henderson were excelling at the highest level taking major awards at…

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