Skye Gathering/ Morar Results/ RSPBA £50k CEO

Skye Gathering is underway in Portree with the hotly contested Dunvegan Medal the centrepiece. Twenty-eight pipers are vying for the award, all submitting four MacCrimmon connected tunes. The winner will be announced late afternoon. Here is the order of play: S Klinger, M Kessler, K Bowes, S Leask, T Krogh, E Cameron, B Watson-Massey, A Kummerlöw, G Canning, G Barclay, A Hall, J Elder, C Carn, E Gaul, A MacPhee,…

Observations on the 2026 Pipe Band Championships

The Scottish Pipe Band Championships at Dumbarton last Saturday completed the first four majors of 2026. The results have been quite variable this year so it is difficult to predict who might prove to be this year’s World Championships winner – there are a variety of factors which might affect the outcome.   Firstly, however, it was pleasing to see the return of the five majors this year, there having…

Editor’s Notebook: Worlds Preview/ G2 Qualifying/ Games News/ Glasgow Police LP

Congratulations to Inveraray after their big win at the Scottish last Saturday. It was a much-needed triumph for the band with only three weeks to the Worlds. I’m told that they had a few of their leading players back in the ranks after their rather ring-rusty performance at the Euros at Perth. It’s clearly all to play for among the top outfits, stating the obvious I know, but with the…

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…