Glasgow Skye’s Popular Worlds Week Concert And How it All Began

Without question the most important event in the week leading up to the World Pipe Band Championships is the major pipe band contest staged each year on the Wednesday by Glasgow Skye Association Pipe Band. The concert, now held in Glasgow’s prestigious Royal Concert Hall, has showcased the biggest names in bands and invariably attracts a sell out crowd of 2,000+. The hall provides a spectacular backdrop for the bands…

P/M Robert Mathieson and His Time at Shotts – Part 2

The highlight of World’s Week this year will be the concert ‘Rise’ to be given by the 2015 World Champions, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band (above). To help set the scene, here’s the second part of a 2010 interview with the band’s pipe major at that time P/M Robert Mathieson…. He [Jim Kilpatrick] has obviously been integral to the success of the band and you and him are seen…

P/M Robert Mathieson and the History of Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band

The highlight of World’s Week this year will be the concert ‘Rise’ to be given by the 2015 World Champions, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band (above). To set the scene, and help everyone appreciate the history of this iconic band, we are running an interview from eight years ago when they celebrated their centenary. Editor Robert Wallace is in conversation with the then Shotts P/M Robert Mathieson, now a…

PP Ed’s Blog: Shotts 1952/ SPA Pro/ Kintyre Solos/ P Lodge/ Lisnamulligan/ Dunedin Pic

The National Museums of Scotland film archive have put out some new silent shots of Shotts Highland Games from September 6, 1952. Mostly of smiling faces in the crowd, there are one or two clips of bands. The one up top shows, I think, P/M Tom McAllister Senior leading the Shotts band. Is that JK McAllister right behind him? The other band shown on parade and very smart in their balmorals…

PP Ed’s Blog: Piobaireachd Conferences/ Shotts Concert Tickets Going Fast

Jim Stack has sent information about the EUSPBA’s ‘Piobaireachd Conference’ to be held in New Jersey on the weekend of March 31 – Apr  2 when the main speaker will be Dr Angus MacDonald. Events take place in the Madison Hotel, Morristown, and include a ceol mor and an MSR contest. A weekend ticket is $100. Contact Jim for more info. Please don’t confuse the above with the Piobaireachd Society…