Luss and Forres Games Results

Showery day on the banks of Loch Lomond. An amateur CLASP event was held in parallel with the Open competitions. Sixteen played in the Open Piob, 18 in the light music. Piobaireachd1 Bobby Allen – Battle of Auldearn No 22 Andrew Hutton – Too Long in this Condition3 Dan Nevans – Melbank’s Salute4 Andrew Pattison – Lament for Capt. MacDougall5 Neil Smith – Old Men of the Shells6 Keith Bowes…

Victorian Pipers Contest, Albury

On Saturday, July 6th, Albury, a NSW border town, hosted an exciting solo piping contest organized by the Victorian Pipers Association, writes Scott Nicolson. Participants travelled from both Victoria and New South Wales to compete. Adding an international flair to the occasion, Mike Cusack from Houston, Texas, served as the guest adjudicator. He not only presided over the competition but also conducted a piobaireachd workshop alongside Malcolm McRae the following…

Editor’s Notebook: Pipe Dreams/ Thomason’s Sword/ Pipes in Early North America/ MacCrimmon Cairn/ Kilberry Middle Music

They may not have been the first with the synthetic drone reed, but who would deny Ronnie MacShannon and Tommy Johnston their place as innovators who, through their company Pipe Dreams, changed the quality of bagpipe sound? Their Eezidrone reeds established a bench mark against which others were tested. Their sound was as close to cane as you can get without all the hassle. And every set of reeds met…

Lochaber Gathering Entries Open/ Lochearnhead and Other Games Details

In preparation for this year’s Lochaber Gathering on Friday 23rd August (the day after Games Day at the Argyllshire Gathering), we have opened the Senior Entries and will hold them open until noon on 15th July, writes Ken Cameron, Chairman of Lochaber Piping Society. We are very restricted in numbers due to the nature of the venue, the excellent Highland Cinema in Fort William, so any sections which are over-subscribed will be…

Ceres Games Results and Comment

A snell wind greeted us as we arrived in the Howe of Fife for the annual Ceres Highland Games, purportedly the oldest in Scotland, dating from 1314, and a year my rabid nationalist pal tells me coincides with some minor altercation at Bannockburn. By Robert Wallace It’s just over a year since the old grappler and piper Willie Baxter left us and there he was on the front of the…