P/M William Lyons BEM, 1940 – 2026

William Lyons was taught to play the pipes, as a boy, at the Corbet Pipe Band, just outside Banbridge in County Down, Northern Ireland. He joined the Irish Guards, in 1957.  During his service, he guest-played with one of Ireland’s top bands of the time, Dromara, under Pipe Major Harold Hook. His first piping instructor in the army was P/M KG Roe of the Scots Guards, and he always described…

Birnam Games Results

A warm, dry day in the Perthshire Highlands. Twenty-seven competed in the seniors. Overseas pipers were once again to the fore. Canada’s and SFU’s Cameron Bonar and Zephan Knichel were declared Champion Piper and light music champion respectively, with a good showing from Antipodean pipers too. Piobaireachd: 1 Jamie Hawke (NZ) 2 Anna Kummerlöw (Germany) 3 Arran Green 4 Cameron Bonar 5 Magnus Stone (USA) March: 1 Zephan Knichel 2…

Reflections on Day 1 at the 2026 Argyllshire Gathering

What a day for North America! Three of the five major prizes went to either Canada or the US with the other going to New Zealand. Scotland’s honour was saved by Finlay Johnston in the ‘big’ MSR – but with Ontario’s Ian K MacDonal right on his brogue heels. Ian’s compatriot Sean McKeown took the coveted Highland Society of London Gold Medal. This was a very popular win. Over the…

Argyllshire Gathering Day 1 Complete Results

Four of the major piobaireachd competitions in world piping, plus the Former Winners’ MSR, were held today in Oban, Argyll. Gold Medal1 Sean MacKeown, Port Urlar, £5502 Andrew Donlon, Lament for Capt. D MacKenzie, £4003 Darach Urquhart, Fair Thee Well Donald, £2504 Chris Armstrong, Lament for Capt. D MacKenzie, £2005 Connor Sinclair, MacDonalds are Simple, £150Judges: J Banks, A Forbes, J Wilson Silver Medal1 Zephan Knichel, £3502 Ruairidh Brown, £3003 Ross Miller, £1504 Bobby Durning, £1005 Andrew Smith, £60Judges: E Anderson, M…

Focus of World Piping on Argyllshire Gathering – MacGregor Finalists Announced

Our focus turns to the Argyllshire Gathering being held in Oban today and tomorrow. The Gathering attracts the best pipers in the world in a multi-discipline series of competitions. Piobaireachd competitions are underway for the Highland Society of London Gold Medal, the Argyllshire Gathering Silver Medal, Senior Piobaireachd and MacGregor Memorial Piobaireachd. Finalists in this competition are: Thomas Fallon, Malachi Johannsen, Liam Nicolson, Lachlan Rennie, Peter MacKay, Magnus Stone, Alex…