Northern Meeting/ Pitlochry Draw/ Cancale Pipers

The annual Northern Meeting piping competitions got underway last night with a reception in Inverness Town House, writes the Editor. It was a convivial gathering with refreshments gratis from the town council and music from last year’s Silver Medallist Brodie Watson-Massey and the Queen’s Own Highlanders ex-members band. Heavy rain did not dampen the occasion. It takes more than water to dilute the importance of this gathering of enthusiasts for…

Braemar Results and Report/ Blairgowrie Results

The Braemar Gold Medallist for 2025 is John McDonald, Aberdeen, (above). He gave a fine rendition of the supposedly MacCrimmon tune, the Glen is Mine, on a steady, tuneful instrument, writes the Editor How appropriate that a local man should win the medal with this tune. The first few bars of it are inscribed on the memorial cairn to the Bobs of Balmoral only yards from the piobaireachd board. As…

Reflections on the Argyllshire Gathering – Part 2

Argyllshire Gathering Day 1. I judged the Silver Medal with Robert Barnes and Donald MacPhee. We started at 9am sharp and finished at 4.30 with a short break for some lunch. The winner was Kyle Cameron, now a son of Tobermory on Mull. His tune was the shortest in the list, You’re Welcome Ewen Lochiel. The pipe was rich-toned and as rock steady as the finger. Kyle’s only fault was…

Reflections on the Argyllshire Gathering – Part 1

I think it would be fair to say that everything went off very smoothly over the two days of the Gathering held in Oban last week. It is no easy task to organise more than 100 highly motivated pipers and more than 30 judges and stewards, so all credit to John Campbell, Kilberry, Piping Steward, and Assistant Steward Torquil Telfer and their team. Conditions could have been kinder on Games…

Lochaber Gathering Results (Juniors added)

This competition was held yesterday, August 29, in Fort William. The senior events were held in and outside the Highland Cinema and the junior events on the lawns in the town centre. The day was a great success with more than 50 pipers taking part and concluding exactly on schedule. It was a credit to new Lochaber Piping Society Chairman James Rosie. James took over from Ken Cameron earlier this…