Skye Gathering 2018 Entry Forms and Information Now Available

The 2018 Skye Gathering will take place on August 7th & 8th at Portree. Entries for the prestigious Dunvegan Medal are limited to 25 and will be accepted from April 1 to May 31.  Piping is supported by the Royal Hotel, Portree, the Highland Society of London, and the Clan Donald Centre. Pictured above is Ian K MacDonald, Toronto, last year’s winner of the Medal. Piping Convenor Cameron MacFadyen has added…

FAMOUS PIPERS – DUNCAN JOHNSTONE, THE PIPER’S PIPER, PART 2

Next weekend (March 10) sees the annual Duncan Johnstone Memorial competition held at the Piping Centre. A few weeks ago piper, composer and adjudicator Stuart Finlayson, New Zealand, regaled us with tales of the late master piper who was so influential on so many people. Today we have the second part of an interview with Duncan conducted by our Editor Robert Wallace in 1996.…. ……Three months later I got home….

Juvenile Indoor Season Preview

Our special correspondent reports on the forthcoming juvenile band contests….Following the cancellation of this weekend’s George Watson’s College (GWC) contest in Edinburgh we look ahead to the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Competition with its now traditional ‘second Sunday in March’,on the 11th, at Inveralmond Community High School, Livingston, West Lothian. The event, now in its 6th year, is presented by the Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust, doing much to…

Uist & Barra Cancelled

Saturday’s Uist & Barra Professional contest has been cancelled due to the weather. Here is the official statement from Piping Convenor John Angus Smith: ‘Due to the adverse weather conditions in an around the Glasgow area and the rest of Scotland, and the likely weather prospects for the next few days, we have decided to postpone this year’s competition. ‘We would like to thank everyone for their interest and support in…

PP Ed’s Blog: South Florida/ Ulster Fundraisers/ Charles MacLeod Williamson

About half way through the South Florida school with good progress on all fronts. Temperatures here in the 80s with a nice breeze. Quite a contrast with the UK. The big hit at last night’s pub ceilidh was Andrew Elliot (Field Marshal) the bass and tenor teacher. Andrew did a spot with tyro teacher Jack Williamson (P/M St Andrews Society Band, Kansas) which had the audience transfixed. A great party…