The Piobaireachd Society has announced the draw for the Archie Kenneth Quaich for amateur ceol mor: The competition will be held on February 29 in the rooms of the Royal Scottish Pipers’ Society, Edinburgh.

We conclude Gilbert Cromie’s excellent article on the origins of the RUC pipe band, now the Police Service of Northern Ireland Pipes & Drums. Read Part 1 here.. Newly promoted, success in Grade 2 for the RUC was not easily achieved. The main challengers were the re-formed McDonald Memorial and the McNeillstown, Syerla and Dromara bands. But the RUC did manage wins at the Ulster, County Antrim and County Fermanagh…

The promoters of the ‘2020 Dojo University Bagpipe Caribbean Cruise’ have announced that it has been delayed stranding pipers in Newark NJ. The press release: ‘Distraught bagpiping students from all over the world have been left scrambling to find lodging for the night after a Coronavirus scare aboard the Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas prevented them from boarding. ‘More than 60 students and guests found out about the delay…

By The Editor The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association have been notified by the Office of Scottish Charities Register (OSCR) that they will be taking no action against the Association following allegations of impropriety. The RSPBA’s Board of Directors have today issued this statement: ‘Following our previous statement on 20th January 2020 regarding the articles in the national press and our discussions with the Office of Scottish Charities Register (OSCR),…

Further to our story on the Ford Pipe Band reader Steve Thomson has kindly done a bit of research on another ‘motown’ pipe band. Steve writes: ‘The march the Detroit Highlanders was composed by Archibald MacNeill (the blind piper) in Glasgow. The Detroit Highlanders were a very successful band on the Ontario games circuit during the 1930s and 40s that really put Detroit on the piping map. ‘The Pipe Major…