Behind the Scenes at the Deserted Premises of RT Shepherd & Co.

The famous bagpipe and reed making company of RT Shepherd & Sons went into compulsory liquidation two months ago. Compulsory liquidation means the company could not meet its financial obligations. A Glasgow insolvency company, Dains, was appointed to dispose of the firm and its assets. It is rumoured that it has been sold as a going concern, but we stress this is only a rumour. The announcement of the liquidation…

Highlands & Islands Festival Report

I don’t think we ladle on enough praise to the volunteers who keep the wheels of piping progress so well oiled with their cheery energy and dedication. A case in point was last Saturday’s Highlands & Islands Festival in Oban. For close on nine hours Convenor Iain Hurst and his team were run off their feet trying to corral youngsters to their allotted classrooms and at the same time keeping…

Entries for Worlds and Other Band Contests Now Open

Entry for the World Pipe Band Championships and all other major championships are now open via the RSPBA website. Worlds entries close on July 2 with the draw taking place at RSPBA HQ in Glasgow on July 9. Bands have to access their band record to complete their entries online. Detailed information about the Worlds – at Glasgow Green on August 15/16 is here. Entry for all grades is £40….

Editor’s Notebook: Highlands & Islands Festival/ Duncan Johnstone Tune/ College Video/ Piobaireachd Society

All roads lead to Oban today for tomorrow’s Highlands & Islands Festival. There are events for all grades and age groups in both senior and junior. Venue is Oban High School from 9am. There is nothing to beat live music. The weather is set fair. There’s great sea food on the pier. Why not get in the car or jump on a bus and enjoy some West Highland air and…

New Book Available on John Macdonald, Inverness

The Piobaireachd Society and author John Shone have published a new book ‘Life, Times and Music of John Macdonald, Inverness’. It is considered an important work in that it contains previously unseen correspondence and the manuscript book of the man described by Sheriff JP Grant, Rothiemurchus thus: ‘Those who have heard him playing the ancient classical music of the Great Highland pipe will, if they have a spark of music…