Some Early Reflections on a Weather Blessed Pipe Band Season

Pipe band expert Alistair Aitken discusses the pipe band season so far… By Alistair Aitken OBE Since the British Pipe Band Championships at Paisley on 19 May there have been numerous local competitions throughout the UK as well as the UK Pipe Band Championships in Belfast.  What has struck me in particular about the majority of local competitions is the reducing numbers of band entries. Contests which in the past have…

Pipes & Drums Feature at Dollar Bicentenary/ Thoughts on Donald MacDonald Cuach

Our Dollar Academy correspondent has sent this….A remarkable 243 pipers and drummers gathered at Dollar Academy, Clackmannanshire, over the weekend to kick off the start of the school’s bicentenary year. With a parachute team arriving with the special bicentenary flag, which will fly over the Old Playfair Building this year, current band members and scores of former pupils (many in mature age ranges) got together to parade on the lawns…

PP Ed’s Blog: Concert formation/ PP New Look/ Band MSRs/ Gairloch Junior Festival

Well done to Chicago Highland Games and the Mid West Pipe Band Association for continuing with their successful concert formation at their recent contest. Everyone’s a winner with this, especially the audience and the judges. The Ross Bandstand (above) in Edinburgh yesterday had the same option for bands.  Boghall won G1 as expected with Skye second. G2 went to George Watson’s juvenile band (how good is this grade?) with Boghall…

Draw for Today’s Princes Street Gardens Contest

Draw for today’s band contest in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh: Grade Novice B / 4B – Start Time 10:00 01 Burntisland and District 02 Tranent and District 03 Peoples Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia 04 City of Edinburgh Schools 05 Stow Borders Pipe Band 06 George Watson’s College 07 Camelon & District 08 Davidson’s Mains and District Junior 09 Stockbridge 10 Queen Victoria School 11 George Heriot’s School 12…

Drumtochty Games Results (updated with juniors and pic)

Pleasant conditions for this light music only games held in north-east Scotland. Judges were James Hamilton and Duncan Watson (above). March 1 John Dew 2 Callum Brown 3 Allan Russell 4 Keith Christie Strathspey & Reel 1 Allan Russell 2 Callum Brown 3 Bobby Allan 4 John Dew Under 14 March 1 Joshua Reilly 2 Andrea Yates Under 14 S&R 1 Joshua Reilly 2 Andrea Yates Under 18 March 1…