South Africa’s ‘Hundred Guineas’ Competition, 2022

South Africa’s pre-eminent solo piping competition took place in Johannesburg at St Benedict’s College over the weekend of 26 and 27 March 2022. On-line competitions have been a wonderful way of providing pipers and drummers with a competition outlet over the last couple of years. A major advantage of these contests has been the opportunity for pipers to compete, even on an international level, without leaving home – and several…

Thirty-two Long Months and the Pandemic Nighmare is Finally Put Behind Us (Updated with Full Results )

It fell to the Kilbarchan pipe band to sound the first note played in anger on a pipe band contest field for almost three years. With that first introductory E this band of 17 pipers swept away months of moribundity and declared ‘the pipe band movement is back’! The occasion was the Gourock Highland Games contest held at the weekend at Battery Park, Greenock. I arrived early just as tents…

Donald Cameron, Inverness 1841 and a Letter from the North

By Duncan Watson Hello Robert the Editor. Amidst all this stuff on the Northern Meetings of past years I’ve been reading on Piping Press, I am wondering if you could cast your memory back to about 1841, one of your earlier attendances there? The results were interesting. Piobaireachd: 1 William Smith , Gordon Castle, Piper to The Duke (Macdonald’s Salute) for which he was awarded a set of bagpipes valued 10 guineas. …

Atholl Gathering/ Lochaber Gathering/ Ukrainian National Anthem

Piping Convenor at the Atholl Gathering, Dr Jack Taylor: ‘There is a healthy entry so far for the Gathering (on May 29), but there is still room for a few more, especially P/A/Non CPA Piobaireachd and junior events. Entries close on Sunday 15th May. Here is the link to the entry form.   ‘It will be Gary West’s first outing as Pipe Major of the Atholl Highlanders. Ian Duncan is handing over the previous…

History: Northern Meeting 1970, Success for Andrew Wright and Ian McLellan

Last week we ran the results from Inverness 1970. Since then our staff have been busy burrowing and have come up with an original report and pictures from the contest published in the Press & Journal newspaper dated September 18. Headlined ‘A Double Gold Success for Piper’ the article reads: ‘A Paisley engineer has scored a double success in the piping world this year. ‘Last month 33-year-old Andrew Wright won…