Lord Martin of Springburn 1945 -2018

It was with a heavy heart that I learned yesterday of the passing of Michael Martin, Lord Martin of Springburn, to give him his proper title. He was 72. Michael was a real man of the people who rose from the ranks of trade unionism to the exalted position of Speaker of the House of Commons. He was also a piper and having started with P/M Norrie Gillies (Alasdair’s father)…

PP Ed’s Blog: Piping on Skye/ Ian McLellan/ Strachur/Coatbridge Bands/ Tradfest

Firstly apologies for the difficulties current on our home page. We are working to solve the issue. Readers should click the News tab at the top left hand of the page to get the latest post. The Donald MacDonald Quaich will be held on Friday 15 June 2018, 7.30pm – 9.30pm at Armadale Castle, Sleat, Skye. Five pipers, last year’s winner Callum Beaumont, Glenn Brown, Alasdair Henderson, Iain Speirs and Craig Sutherland…

PP Ed’s Blog: SPA Pro/Jimmy Jackson/ SPJA/ Xavier Vid/ Balmoral Schools/ Allan Chatto/

What will be the first professional piping contest of the season (following the weather cancellation of the Uist & Barra) will be held this Saturday April 14. It’s the Scottish Pipers Association contest and it will be held at NPC West (College of Piping, Otago St. to us old timers) with a good entry in all categories. Last year’s overall winner was Sarah Muir (pictured top with her trophies) who will be…

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…