Piping Press

1 Connor Sinclair, End of the Great Bridge 2 Stuart Easton, Rout of Glen Fruin 3 Cameron Drummond, Kintarbert’s Fancy 4 Andrew Donlon, Kintarbert’s Fancy 5 Sarah Muir, End of the Great Bridge Judges: T Speirs, S Samson, W Wotherspoon

1 Gordon McCready 2 Craig Sutherland 3 Sarah Muir 4 Angus J MacColl 5 Alasdair Henderson Judges: W Cowan, B Donaldson, R Livingstone

1 James MacKenzie, The Bicker 2 Alex Gandy, Salute to Donald 3 John Dew, Marquis of Argyle’s Salute 4 Steven Leask, Massacre of Glencoe 5 Xavier Boderiou, Marquis of Argyle’s Salute Judges: N Mulvie, S Shedden, J Wilson

Someone on social media was asking about this picture. For those who don’t know, it is of the MacCrimmon Cairn at Borreraig on Skye. The piper is John MacFadyen and the listener Seton Gordon the writer, naturalist and piping judge. The occasion, early 1970s, would be the ‘penny and a piobaireachd’ ceremony which was organised annually (before my time) by the College of Piping. In return for the money and…

Whilst the weather has not always been at its best during the pipe band season, when the curtain came down on the summer contests the sun came out for the Ulster Championships at Donard Park, Newcastle. Not only did it stay out all day but so too did thousands of spectators as evidenced by the full car parks and indeed almost every available space in adjoining residential areas resulting no…