Scotland’s Memorial Cairns for Famous Pipers

I took a trip up Glen Strathfarrar a week ago to see the P/M Willie Ross cairn. It’s been in situ for about 15 years following the campaign by the late Finlay MacRae for a monument to his old tutor born in the glen at Camsorie. By The Editor A visit to the cairn should be on every piper’s bucket list. To get there take the A831 from near Beauly…

New Gala Piping Recital in London

The inaugural ‘London Recital’ will be held on 25 September 2025 and will feature two of the outstanding pipers of today, Iain Speirs and Angus MacColl. This new landmark event will be an evening of piobaireachd and light music held in one of London’s most historic Scottish venues. By Gordon Tughan-Jones On 25 September 2025, invited guests, all with connections to piping, will gather at Dover House, Whitehall – the…

Editor’s Notebook: Worlds Bus Parking/ Scots Guards KO/ Argyllshire Gathering Medal/ Miscellany

Steven Kinvig, Secretary, Kilsyth Thistle Pipe Band: The organisation of the Worlds for bands attending the event disappoints me each year. For most bands the location of where to park their coach, and in what zone is important, mobility issues etc. RSPBA and Glasgow Life are selling bus pass coded for colour but neither are able to identify the geographical location of any of the coloured zones. The person selling…

Les Cowell 1933 – 2025

It is with sincere regret that I record the passing of Les Cowell of David Naill Bagpipes. He was 91 and had been ailing for some time. Les began his piping career in the Boys Brigade in London and as a junior picked up prizes in local contests. I remember him once coming to the College of Piping, digging out old copies of the Piping Times, there to find his…

Advertising Feature: McCallum Bagpipes

In just over 25 years McCallum Bagpipes, based near Kilmarnock in Ayrshire, have become probably the biggest quality bagpipe manufacturers in the world. Their instruments go to all pipe-playing nations in North and South America, Asia, Oceania and Europe. Their factory is leading the way in using robotic manufacturing equipment to take much of the tedium out of the pipe making process. The firm employs 32 people, some part time,…