Scottish Pipe Band Championships – Inveraray Triumph

Inveraray were declared Scottish Pipe Band Champions at a sunny Levengrove Park, Dumbarton, today, giving P/M Stuart Liddell his first major of the season. Grade 1 bands had to play both Medley and MSR. Nine played. The other G1 places went to: 2 FMM3 Boghall4 SLOT5 Fife Police6 Shotts with the drumming going to SLOT. Grade 2 1 Annan2 Uddingston3 Manorcunningham4 Buchan5 Bucksburn6 St Joseph’sDrumming: Annan Grade 3a1 Burntisland2 Livingston3…

Before Scotland? Ladies Pipe Bands in Victoria, Australia – Part 2

TIn January 1918, the South and Port Melbourne Thistle Society announced that women would be enrolled in its pipe band. This society’s male band was no weak or novelty outfit. It was a champion band. But the war had depleted its ranks. The Weekly Times reported: ‘It is announced that 20 young women have joined the pipe band of the South and Port Melbourne Thistle Society.’ By Stephen Matthews, Chairman…

Readers Continue to Show Concerns over Worlds Grade 2 Heats and Numbers in Grade 1

Ian Forbes: If the RSPBA had promoted the top two or three Grade Two bands from last year’s Worlds, (e.g. Glasgow Skye, North Stratton, Dunedin – I forget the exact order), bands which many thought were already playing to a Grade 1 standard, this would have been the outcome: a) there would be no need for Grade 2 qualifiers this year, and b) Grade 1 numbers would have swelled to…

Readers React to Worlds Entries With Concerns over Grade 1 Numbers and Grade 2

Ian Forbes: The RSPBA deserves full credit and congratulations for the increased number of bands scheduled to attend this year’s Worlds, as well as the welcomed expansion of events on the Friday. Most grades have greater band numbers participating compared to 2025, and there are many more reasons for pipe band enthusiasts and supporters to venture out to Glasgow Green on the Friday – previously characterised by very low attendance….

Editor’s Notebook: Band Medleys/ Games Updates/ Lochaber Entry/ Mod 1982 Picture

Another of our brave, anonymous correspondents has chipped in apropos my comments on band medleys saying that I am longing for the glory days of Muirhead & Sons. You should understand my faceless friend that there were no ‘glory days’ for Muirheads under the medley regime from 1970 onwards. They all belonged to Shotts, Dysart, Edinburgh Police, and then Strathclyde Police. The imposition of the medley was a huge sea…