Archives: Uist & Barra/ Bob Hardie/ Northern Meeting/ Donald MacPherson

This year’s Uist & Barra competition was cancelled due to the weather and we await details of a rearranged date. In the meantime a delve into the PP archives has revealed this cutting from the Daily Record of February 12, 1951, confirming that the contest was held even earlier all those years ago. These days it is usually on the first Saturday in March.  Under the headline ‘Portrait of prize piper’,…

PP Ed’s Blog: Northern Meeting Names/ Capt. John Contest Draw/ Worlds Pictures/ Tom Knobel, South Africa

Thanks to Greig Canning for supplying the missing names and awards from in Tuesday’s picture from the 2004 Northern Meeting at Inverness rerun above. Names and prizes are (standing l – r):  James Beaumont (‘B’ S&R), Alastair Dunn (Silver Medal), Ian K MacDonald (‘A’ H&J), Richard Hawke (‘A’ MSR), Simon McKerral (2nd ‘A’ MSR), P/M Michael Gray (Dress & Deportment?), and Donald MacPhee (2nd Gold Medal). Seated from the left…

Dress at Oban and Inverness and the Standard of Play in B Grade Events

A last look at the piping at the 2017 Northern Meeting today. Before that a word about Oban and its dress code. Pipers at the Argyllshire Gathering are permitted to play without jackets. The rooms get hot at times and the laudable aim of the organisers is to make the competitors as comfortable as possible in the pressure cooker atmosphere of the small theatre at the Corran Halls and in…

Some Personal Reflections on the 2017 Ceol Mor Competitions at Oban and Inverness

Chris Terry has studied ceol mor throughout his life. In his competing years he won many top prizes in Scotland including several placings in the Gold Medal and this despite the necessity of having to travel thousands of miles each year at great expense to do so. He has been solo piping champion of South Africa on innumerable occasions. We are very grateful to Chris for taking the time to…

Northern Meeting 2017 – Day 2: Full Results

Iain Speirs was the big winner on the second day of the Northern Meeting held at Inverness. Iain placed first in the coveted Gold Clasp playing Colin Roy MacKenzie’s Lament. It was his second success in this major event. Runner up was Angus MacColl with Craigellachie. The above picture shows the trophy winners and officials at this evening’s prize giving Gold Clasp 1 Iain Speirs 2 Angus MacColl 3 Stuart Liddell…