Piping Press

This history of the band is based on a combination of historical documents, interviews, and tales told by band members and others. I make no claim for detailed accuracy; and I would welcome corrections and/or additional material. Often referred to as ‘the best band never to have won the Worlds’ the Red Hackle Pipes and Drums was in existence for around 35 years, always as a Grade 1 band. The…

The late Alex Duncan plays his uncle Gordon’s Sleeping Tune. Alex, son of Ian and Chris, died tragically young last weekend:

Emma McCallum writes: We want to introduce you to a new concept in a two piece stock and water trap/moisture control system, the Piper’s Friend™. It has been designed by George Steele, a piper who was born in South Uist and now spends most of his life in the USA. Here is what Bob Worrall says about the Piper’s Friend™: ‘I’ve been playing with the new water trap for the last week.  It…

Our story on the 1968 Cowal Gathering sparked a deal of interest. The winners in Grade 1 that day were the Edinburgh Police and Allan J MacDonald, Glengarry, Ontario, wrote: ‘I’ve come across the attached photo [above] that might be of interest to your readers.  It was slightly damaged but captures the Grade 1 bands at the Fergus Games, held a short distance from Toronto, in 1972. ‘Many Scottish bands were…