SPA Juvenile/ Scots Guards KO/ New CPA Rule

Entry forms for the Scottish Pipers Juvenile contest are now online. The competition takes place at the Piping Centre Otago Street (formerly the College of Piping) on November 8. It returns after a hiatus of several years and it is hoped that young pipers throughout the country will support it. There are historic trophies on offer. Main sponsors are the Piobaireachd Society and McCallum Bagpipes. There are eight events for…

Entries Open for Archie Kenneth Quaich

The 34th annual amateur Piobaireachd Society competition for the Archie Kenneth Quaich will take place on Saturday, 28th February 2026, writes Peter McCalister. The venue is the rooms of the Royal Scottish Pipers Society, 127 Rose St North Lane, Edinburgh EH2 4BB, starting at 9.30am.  Entries and enquiries to peter.mccalister1939@gmail.com. The closing date for entries is 12th January 2026. The winner receives the Quaich and the Piobaireachd Society pipe banner….

More Information on Donald Cameron’s Powder Horn

We are grateful to piping historian Jeannie Campbell MBE for forwarding this information following last week’s article on Donald Cameron’s powder horn…. A piping competition was held on 4th October 1839 in a Pavilion at the Great Agricultural Meeting, Academy Park, Inverness, in aid of funds of the Northern Infirmary. The prizes were: 1 ‘A Handsome Bagpipe’ made by Macdonald [Donald] of Edinburgh, to Angus MacKay, piper to WF Campbell…

Editor’s Notebook: The Demise of G1 Pipe Bands/ SPA Juveniles/ Donald Cameron’s Powder Horn/ Keith Sanger

To lose two Grade 1 pipe bands in one week is dispiriting news. Closkelt and Johnstone have gone to the wall both victims of a lack of numbers. Will those in authority wake up? How long has this column, and significant cadre of our readers, been banging on about the need to restrict sizes in Grade One? Don’t the bigwigs at the RSPBA realise that if you allow unlimited numbers…

New Jack Lee Contest Announced in Canada

The British Columbia Pipers’ Association (BCPA) is thrilled to announce the launch of the Jack Lee Amateur Invitational Piping Competition, writes David Hilder, President. This exciting new annual event will celebrate the art of piobaireachd and showcase the top piping talent in the amateur grades of the Association. The inaugural competition will take place on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the Seaforth Armoury in Vancouver. This new invitational honours the remarkable…