The Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust have sent this…. The biggest free bagpipe loan scheme in the world is being set up by a Scottish schools’ charity. The instruments are being loaned out for up to three years at a time to help boost the number of youngsters taking up Scotland’s national instrument. Already over 160 sets costing about £700 each are being played by pupils in schools from Orkney…

Pipe Major Ross McCrindle reports: The 6th Annual Captain John A MacLellan memorial contest was held at the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming at Inchdrewer House in Edinburgh today.  Now firmly established as one of the premier solo piping contests in Scotland, a record entry was received with B & C grade contests full to capacity, and the A & P grade contests attracting a strong entry…

This annual competition got underway early this morning at the Army School of Piping and Highland Drumming at Inchdrewer House, Edinburgh. The contest is run ion conjunction with the Competing Pipers’ Association. The draws are below and we will publish results as we get them. [polldaddy poll=10116643] [wds id=”2″]

Steve Rooklidge of the Shasta Piping Society in California has sent the picture of the above chanter. Steve writes: ‘Is this a Grainger chanter of your era?  It seems a bit chubby but the fingering is more modern. What were they pitched for? I have yet to reed it up. This was from a set purchased I think, from the House of Scotland PB in San Diego in the 80s sometime.’…

South West of Scotland Piping & Drumming Academy held their first Juvenile Solo Piping & Drumming competition in the new venue of Lockerbie Academy, on Saturday past, 29th September, reports Andrew McCartney. There was a good entry, considering that this is a fledgling competition, with around 60 performances for the judges to assess. The judges on the day were Callum Beaumont, and  Matt Wilson (piping), Norrie Thomson (snare) and Ashleigh Lamberton…