Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band have sent this… Graham Drummond (27) has made the move to join Shotts and Dykehead as Pipe Sergeant following a 10 year tenure in the front rank of Field Marshal Montgomery. He joins his friend and former Field Marshal band member, P/M Emmett Conway, in the leadership team at Shotts. P/M Conway, who succeeded Ryan Canning as P/M of Shotts in September 2018, said,…

By Jimmy McIntosh MBE I do not usually get to listen to the piping programmes from Scotland but was fortunate to hear some of the competitors’ tunes from the Northern Meetings. I also recently spent several weeks in my native country and heard recordings from Lorient Piobaireachd and also the Piping Centre Masters contest. I was quite disappointed with the standard of what I heard. I don’t know what has happened…

By Robert Wallace Bagpipemakers and other musical instrument manufacturers have finally won their battle over the use of African blackwood (ABW). For almost three years UK pipe makers have had to apply for costly licences for every set of pipes they export outwith the EU. These costs have had to be passed on to customers.  An earlier announcement that restrictions were to be lifted last March was put on hold…

The Scottish Pipers’ Association Annual Juvenile competition was held today, 7th September, in the National Piping Centre (Otago Street). There was a high standard of playing in all events. Prizes were presented by Anne Lore, France, a long time supporter of the SPA. 18 and under Piob:1st Hazel Whyte 2nd Cameron May3rd Thomas Young 18 and under March: 1st Hazel Whyte2nd Thomas Young3rd Cameron May 4th Kyle Gordon  18 and under S&R:1st Cameron…

It was never warm, but when the sun broke through Braemar blossomed into a right royal gathering with thousands flocking to the Duke of Fife Memorial Park, writes the Editor. This small granite village in the Cairngorm National Park is always worth a visit even without the piping . At 10am my fellow judges and I settled down to a fairly good ceol mor competition. Inveraray Pipe Band had some…