Gilbert Cromie reports…The curtain came down on the 2018 NI Branch contest season at Portrush on Saturday and despite the many reservations about the venue, the Lansdown Road Car Park, everything went smoothly. Despite the adverse weather in other parts of the country we enjoyed a pleasant day which contributed to the large crowd who attended. I would like to echo the sentiments of the Chieftain of the Day, Councillor…

A good day of piping in the picturesque village with the Cairngorm Mountains as a backdrop. It was dry but grew colder later on in the day. Piobaireachd 1. Edward McIlwaine, The King’s Taxes 2. Alan Clark, MacCrimmon’s  Sweetheart 3. Gordon Barclay, The Piper’s Warning to his Master 4. John McDonald, Too Long in This Condition (Angus MacKay) 5. John Angus Smith, The Red Hand in MacDonald’s Arms 6. James MacPhee, Glengarry’s March…

With the 78th Frasers, Manawatu and Boghall & Bathgate as centre bands for the march past, the remaining crowd and bands watched as the announcement was made that Scottish Power had swept the honours in Grade 1, writes MacStig In a lively Grade 2, with mixed competitions, several pointers to next weekend were given. With approaching 100 performances, and some bands performing up to three times, it was a full…

Grade 1 newcomers Lomond and Clyde Pipe Band will approach the 2019 season with a revamped practice schedule seeing them relocate a portion of their practices to Perthshire – but there will be no change in the band’s geographical identity or RSPBA branch membership. At the moment the band are looking at possible venues but they hope to secure something in the city of Perth, accessible to trains and the…

All reports to the PP office indicate that the numbers attending the games this summer are definitely up on last year. I hope our mini-campaign has helped but all credit is really due to the pipers who’ve taken the trouble and spent the money to get out there and have a tune. The knock-on effect is that local organisers will be encouraged that their time has not been ill-spent and…