Category: History

PP Ed’s Blog: Henderson Pipes For Sale/ Euros Promo Video/ Tartan Talk/ Queensland Ceol Mor

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A beautiful set of Henderson silver & ivory pipes is offered for sale today. The pipe is circa 1900 and has been played at the highest level. Get full details here. Impressive new promo video for the European Pipe Band Championships at Forres in a few weeks: John Kelly reports from Northern Ireland: The ‘Tartan Talk’ column which ran for decades in the Belfast News Letter will resume this Saturday 20th May…

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Gairloch Iain Dall Young Pipers Festival 2017

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The Iain Dall Young Pipers Festival will take place in Gairloch High School on Saturday 23th September. The purpose is to encourage Under 18 pipers, from  primary school upwards, to participate in friendly and relaxed competitions. The Festival commemorates Iain ‘Dall’ MacAoidh (1656-1754) piper to Mackenzie of Gairloch, blind from the age of seven as the result of smallpox, the legendary ‘Blind Piper’. A pupil of the great MacCrimmon of…

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More Memories of Donald Mackinnon, Skye & Queensland

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Reader Catherine Herzig has kindly shared her recollections of life and times with war hero and piper Donald Mackinnon. This is  a warm, personal memoir which gives a real feel for the man’s humanity and dedication to his music. We are grateful to Cath for sharing it with us. The picture above is of Donald in KOSB rig piping during the Korean War. I was 12 when I had to take…

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P/M Robert Mathieson and His Time at Shotts – Part 2

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The highlight of World’s Week this year will be the concert ‘Rise’ to be given by the 2015 World Champions, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band (above). To help set the scene, here’s the second part of a 2010 interview with the band’s pipe major at that time P/M Robert Mathieson…. He [Jim Kilpatrick] has obviously been integral to the success of the band and you and him are seen…

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History: Pipe Major Donald MacKinnon, Skye and Australia

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A few weeks ago we received a letter from Cailean Maclean of Skye Media and the BBC radio piping programme ‘Crunluath’, regarding Skye piper Donald MacKinnon. Cailean wrote: ‘Do you know anything about Donald MacKinnon, composer of the Sound of Sleat? I know he was from Skye (I am trying to trace his origins here) and that he was a Pipe Major with the KOSBs and served in Korea. Why he was…

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