Island of Tears as Piper Eilidh Goes Home to Barra

Piper Eilidh MacLeod’s body has been returned to her native Barra in the Western Isles. Her coffin was draped in the Barra flag as it was carried from the aircraft on the Traigh Mhor airstrip with P/Sgt Duncan Nicholson of Glasgow Police Scotland Pipe Band leading the procession. The Scotsman reported: ‘The body of Manchester terror victim Eilidh MacLeod has been repatriated to the Outer Hebrides ahead of the first funeral…

CLASP Results from the Army School of Piping Competition

Margaret Dunn reports: Here are results from today’s CLASP competition at the Army School. The picture shows, from L- R: Connor Sinclair (judge), Gregor McCulloch, Ross Walker, Ewen Brindle and Wilson Brown (judge).  Overall Winner Grade 3 – Ewen Brindle Overall Winner Grade 2 – Ross Walker Overall Winner Grade 1 – Gregor McCulloch Grade 3 Piobaireachd Ground 1st Robert Wilson 2nd David McRobb 3rd Andrew Richardson Full Piobaireachd 1st Ewen…

Donald MacDonald Quaich Result

The recital/annual competition for the ‘cuaich’ took place on June 2 in the Stables Cafe, Armadale Castle, Gardens & Museum of the Isles, Sleat, Isle of Skye. The winner was Callum Beaumont. Callum is pictured at the Lochaber Gathering last year where he enjoyed another success. Pipers and tunes were: Iain Speirs, A Cholla mo Ruin or The Piper’s Warning to his Master Finlay Johnston, Cumha an Aona Mhic or…

PP Ed’s Blog: J Ban MacKenzie/ Weekend contests/ Govan concert/ Donald McBride

A painting of John Ban MacKenzie reputed to be worth £10,000 has been stolen from a house in East Lothian in what police have described as a ‘targeted theft’. The picture entitled ‘Piper to the 2nd Marquess of Breadalbane’ by JM Barclay, which dates from 1842, was taken from a house near Kippielaw Farm, near East Linton. The BBC reported that four other paintings of black and gold Asian-style design were…

Balmoral School of Piping and Drumming’s 2017 Summer Music Sessions

The organisers of this programme have sent this: This summer, 2017, the Balmoral School will run an intensive summer program for pipers and drummers of all ages, in Indiana and Pennsylvania. Both beginners and accomplished musicians will immerse themselves in weeklong music sessions with some of the best pipers and pipe band drummers in the world. June 29-July 2: University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN Piping Instructors: Jimmy Bell, Nick Hudson…