Glenfiddich Championship 2023 Results

The Glenfiddich Champion for 2023 is Callum Beaumont. He was placed first in ceòl mòr and won by piobaireachd preference over Finlay Johnston. There was a very large audience in the great hall at Blair Castle, Blair Atholl, and the event was also live-streamed. Pictured above is Alex Gandy winner of the MSR. Piobaireachd placings:1 Callum Beaumont, Lament for MacLeod of Colbeck2 Finlay Johnston3 Fred Morrison4 Bruce Gandy5 Angus MacColl…

Editor’s Notebook: Cowal Gathering/ Peter MacFarquhar/ Masters of Piobaireachd/ Reminders/ Kinglassie PB

There are strong rumours, more than that actually, that next year’s Cowal Grade 1 pipe band competition is to be given a significant cash boost: a four figure first prize, perhaps circa. £2,000. Good money for the places too, with a total fund of £5,000. That would put Cowal back on the pipe band map wouldn’t it? Last year there was no G1 contest. I’m still hoping that some sort…

Unidentified Pipers from Skye and Information on Peter MacFarquhar, Piper and Composer

Cailean Maclean, former Piping Convenor at Skye Games: ‘A gentleman from South Uist sent me the attached photos. According to the captions they were from Skye. I have no idea who they are and would be grateful for any information about them.’ All of the photographs are studio staged, two outdoors and one in, and clearly two of the pipers were very successful competitors. The other, bottom left, has the stance and…

Scottish Pipe Band Launch Funding Plea after Extensive Flood Damage Ruins Practice Hall

Craig Black, Pipe Major of the City of Brechin Pipe Band (above), has been in touch following the recent flooding disaster in the Angus area of Scotland.  He writes: ‘Our band is the oldest civilian pipe band having been formed in 1878. We are a self-funded band which provides free tuition for all ages and practice once a week at our hall. ‘The flooding in Brechin caused by Storm Babet…

History: Pipe Bands in the East of Scotland Part 3

The response to these articles has been particularly encouraging and I am grateful to reader Ian Sword for forwarding this very interesting photograph [above]. Iain writes: ‘I enclose a photograph of Kinglassie and District Colliery Pipe Band winning the Grade 2 Scottish Pipe Band Championship at Blairgowrie in 1948, under the leadership of Pipe Major Sandy Burnside. ‘It was taken when I competed with the band on my 12th birthday…