Results and Report from Dunedin Highland Games, Florida

From the Sunshine State of Florida, our Special Correspondent reports on the Dunedin Highland Games……. Now arguably one of the larger solo and pipe band gatherings in North America, Dunedin, that west coast Florida town with Scottish roots (twinned with Stirling), packs a real punch with an ever-growing and burgeoning Highland Games. As the solos kicked off at 9am so did a few thousand 5k runners in the humid, high…

Why Ensemble Matters in Pipe Band Adjudication – Part 2

Pipe band adjudication expert Alistair Aitken concludes his well-received article on the place of ensemble judging in the modern pipe band world. Not read the first instalment yet? Click here….. There are of course other factors which affect adjudication. While the approach can be objective, the final assessment is very much a subjective process and it is highly unlikely that results and comments will be the same unless there is collusion…

Australian PB Champs./ Skye Piping Review

On the eve of this year’s Australian Pipe Band Championships, Pipe Bands Australia have announced details of their plans for the 2020 contest, their Diamond Jubilee Year. Forty bands have entered the  2018 championship which take place at the Brisbane Boys Club, Toowong, Queensland, on Saturday, April 7. In the run up to the contest PBA have also instituted a Hall of Fame recognising individuals who have made an outstanding…

Piobaireachd Society Conference – 45 Years and Still Going Strong

The highlight of the 45th annual Piobaireachd Society Conference was, for me, the talk given by John Shone. John has been a faithful at the conference for decades and in a cosily busy room at the Birnam Hotel late on Saturday he regaled us with tunes and tales of his teachers. What a list. From beginnings in the Croydon BB there were lessons from JB Robertson, Donald MacPherson, Bob Nicol,…

MacStig Rides in from the West With A Tribute to a Grade Two Hero

Wherever it is he goes to ‘find himself’ over the winter, our rantin’, rovin’ reporter MacStig has returned refreshed. He says the harder he looked inwards the less he found. The sun tan suggests the destination was more Western Isles than West Palm Beach. Maybe he forgot to remove the glen g/ crash hat combo, but hey, let’s just say welcome back. Time to get writin’………….. Spring, Easter, daffodils, sun (sometimes)…