Highland Bagpipe Centre Plan Announced

A pipemaker has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £45,000 for a ‘Highland Bagpipe Centre’. The centre would be at Culloden near Inverness, close to the site of the battlefield of 1746. A spokesman for the firm involved, Burgess Bagpipes, said: ‘It is usually a surprise when we tell people that there are three different types of bagpipe used in Scotland today. ‘They are amazed at how differently they look…

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Drum Corps Change at Lomond and Clyde

The leading drummer of Grade 1 Lomond & Clyde Pipe Band, Gary Corkin, has resigned citing ‘personal reasons’. His place will be taken by Adrian Hoy, currently with Vale of Atholl Pipe Band. It is anticipated that Adrian will take his corps from the Vale to Lomond & Clyde. Alisdair Tennant, Band Secretary: ‘Lomond and Clyde confirm that Adrian Hoy has been appointed as our new Leading Drummer bringing top level…

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PP Ed’s Blog: Trad Awards/ 2019 All-Irelands/ Scots Guards KO/ Inverness Recital/ Parade Pic/ John Cruickshank VC Final Reminder

Today is the last opportunity to vote for your Scottish Pipe Band of the Year in the MG Alba Trad Music Awards. The contenders are: North Lanarkshire Schools Inveraray and District Preston Lodge Novice B Pipe Band Scottish Power Pipe Band Half of the PP office will be voting for North Lanarkshire and the other half for Preston Lodge (pictured). Register your preference here. Promoter ‘Hands up for Trad’ hosts…

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New Book Tells of the Incredible Bravery of Piper David Kirkpatrick During an SAS Raid in WW2

In his new book, author Damien Lewis recounts the exploits of the SAS and David ‘The Mad Piper’ Kirkpatrick and his role in Operation Tombola in northern Italy during WW2, an operation which saw him parachute behind enemy lines wearing his regimental kilt…….. ‘Legendary SAS commander Major Roy Farran had put in a special request for what he saw as his secret weapon – a youthful Scottish piper in the…

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Final Excerpt from the Northern Meeting 1995 plus the List of Pipers in the ‘B’ Ceol Beag, Oban 1990

This final video from the 1995 Northern Meeting is by cameraman Owen Nash, Manchester. It features pipers playing in the final of the Hornpipe & Jig contest that year. They are Scott Drummond, Michael Elder, Allan Russell, and Gordon Duncan. There is a shot of the judges Messrs. Ronnie Morrison, Jimmy Young and Donald MacPherson. Thanks again to John Don MacKenzie for the programme from the Argyllshire Gathering in 1990,…

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