Several years ago former Strathclyde Police piper Allan Hamilton embarked on a project ‘Pipers’ Persuasion’. His aim was to record some of the leading figures in piping and pipe bands. Travelling the length and breadth of the land armed with microphone and camera, Allan and his team secured lengthy and insightful interviews. Now, during the pandemic, is the perfect opportunity to catch up on some of your piping history. As…

Tonight (Dec 16) at 8pm GMT the Piobaireachd Society is hosting the latest in its online ‘Talk Piobaireachd’ sessions. Leading the discussion will be champion piper Jack Lee from British Columbia, Canada. Jack will discourse on aspects of ceòl mòr using suitable tunes to illustrate his comments. Jack has over 40 years experience at the very highest level of solo piping competition. He has won all the awards open to…

In what will be seen as a welcome taste of normality, the two major solo piping competitions in the world have announced that they are now accepting entries for next year’s competitions at the Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting. The AG is at Oban on August 25 and 26 and the NM at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, on September 2 and 3. The last two dates represent a return to…

I would like to make readers aware of a new product we have developed, Twist-Trap Goose Pipes, writes Alastair Dunn, Managing Director of RG Hardie Ltd. Our goal is to make learning to play bagpipes as easy as possible, and along with Twist-Trap Practice Pipes, they provide a smooth transition from practice chanter to Highland Bagpipes.  Twist-Trap Goose Pipes are unique in that they can be played with either a…

This short piece recalls the grand old days of BBC piping broadcasts. It is taken from the Radio Times of 1957. Headlined ‘Broadcasting from Scotland – The Big Music of the Pipes’, it features the late Ronald Morrison. The caption to the picture above reads ‘Piper Ronald Morrison from South Uist, making his first broadcast, plays ‘MacCrimmon’s Sweetheart’ in the Scottish Home Service’. The accompanying article reads.. Only a minority…