Piping Press

By Donald MacPhee My dad, Pipe Major Alexander “Sandy” Uist MacPhee, passed away on Thursday, October 24th, after contracting pneumonia. When doctors determined he had terminal oesophageal cancer in September, we knew he would not be with us next year. Still, we didn’t think we would lose him so suddenly and quickly. Sandy was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1932. Both his parents Alexandrina Edmonstone, from Plockton Wester Ross and…

Unlike the House of Commons, the House of Lords wasn’t sitting last Saturday, so our Lord of the Dance, MacStig, was able to attend the really big event and report for us from Glasgow…. In a parallel world, the baying rabble in the House of Commons chose to sit on this Saturday of all Saturday’s, the World Solo Drumming Saturday of 2019, where the only real question was, would Steven…

Next year, for the first time in its history, the Northern Meeting in Inverness will be held before the Argyllshire Gathering. The dates for the NM at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, are Thursday 20th and Friday 21st of August, 2020 Piping Convenor Alan Forbes confirmed today. Said Mr Forbes: ‘As you may have heard Eden Court Theatre has booked another event for the week next year in which we normally…

One hundred years ago, on the seventh of August 1919, Donald Ramsay was born a farmer’s son near the West Lothian village of Torphichen, Bathgate. He began his piping under Alexander ‘Sandy’ Forrest, pipe major of the local band and a noted pupil of John MacDougall Gillies. By Robert Wallace Donald immediately showed great promise and soon won everything available to him in the amateur ranks venturing north to the…

A first look today at the new, £1m custom refurbishment of the RSPBA’s Headquarters in Washington Street, Glasgow. Sanctioned by the Association’s Board of Directors three years ago, the new building is scheduled for opening in May or June of next year. Fire, caused by a faulty radiator, severely damaged the main headquarters building in 2017. An insurance claim of £120,000 was paid and added to the substantial building fund…