Thanks to reader David Moore for the above picture of Singer Pipe Band, Clydebank. David was mentioned in last week’s article along with two other ex-members, George McEwan and Murdo MacLean. David writes: I knew both George and Murdo well as we all lived in the same area along with many other Singer employees. George and myself played with Pipe Major Maurice Pert at Duthie Park, Aberdeen, in 1970 winning…

The first major solo contest of the year, the Uist & Barra Invitational, has been confirmed for March 7. As before, it will be held at the Piping Centre in Otago Street. The competition is under new management and it looks as though they have hit the ground running. Invites to a dozen or so pipers have already been sent out and they are merit-based. They include both 2025 Gold…

Yesterday’s story on the founding of the SPBA mentioned the current relationship between pipe bands and Cowal Games. Correspondent Ian Forbes sums things up well: ‘The demise of the Cowal Pipe Band Championships is an historic and cultural tragedy in the world of piping. ‘From 1906 and for over 40 years, Dunoon hosted the ‘unofficial’ world pipe band championships, as part of the Cowal Highland Gathering. Hundreds of  thousands of…