2025 Northern Meeting Day 2: Liddell wins his 4th Clasp and big HP&J; Muir wins A-Grade MSR

Inverness, Scotland – September 12, 2025 – The second and final day of the 2025 Northern Meeting saw Stuart Liddell of Inveraray, Scotland, win his fourth Clasp, reserved for winners of at least one of the Highland Society Gold Medals at Inverness or Oban. He went on to win the Premier/A-Grade Hornpipe & Jig event for at least the sixth time.

It was the conclusion to a remarkable competition year for Liddell, who also won the Senior Piobaireachd at the Argyllshire Gathering, and led Inveraray & District to their fourth World Pipe Band Championship.

Sarah Muir of Glasgow won the A-Grade MSR, catapulting her into the Silver Star Former Winners’ MSR competition for the rest of her piping days.

Stuart Liddell was also presented with the new John D. Burgess Memorial Kilt Pin, in honour of the late John D. Burgess. The award will be presented to the aggregate winner between the Clasp and Silver Star MSR at Inverness every year. Designed and made by renowned jeweller Islay Spalding, the award this year coincides with the 75th anniversary of Burgess’s “Double” in 1950, when he won both Highland Society of London Gold Medals at the age of 16. The prize will be given to the aggregate between the Clasp and Silver Star MSR results. Liddell received the JDB on Clasp preference, after a tie with Callum Beaumont, who won the Silver Star and, like Liddell in that event, was third in the Clasp.

All of the prizes for Friday’s events were announced at an awards ceremony at approximately 6 p.m.

Clasp
1st Stuart Liddell, “Lament for Colin Roy MacKenzie”
2nd Angus D. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland
3rd Callum Beaumont, Guardbridge, Scotland
4th Connor Sinclair, Crieff, Scotland
5th Jamie Forrester, Haddington, Scotland
Judges: Alan Forbes, Murray Henderson, Dr. Angus MacDonald

Also competing: Chris Armstrong, Glasgow; Glenn Brown, Glasgow; Cameron Drummond, Edinburgh; Andrew Hayes, Ottawa; Alasdair Henderson, Edinburgh; Nick Hudson, Houston; Roddy MacLeod, Glasgow; Finlay Johnston, Glasgow; Jack Lee, Surrey, British Columbia; Ian K MacDonald, Whitby, Ontario; Colin MacLellan, Edinburgh; Willie McCallum, Glasgow; Innes Smith, Glasgow; Iain Speirs, Edinburgh; Greg Wilson, Tai Tapu, New Zealand.

A-Grade MSR
1st Sarah Muir, Glasgow
2nd Cameron Bonar, Surrey, British Columbia
3rd Connor Sinclair, Crieff, Scotland
4th Liam Kernaghan, Auckland
5th Steven Leask, Glasgow
Judges: Barry Donaldson, Iain MacFadyen, John Wilson

Also competing: Calum Brown; Glenn Brown; Gordon Bruce, Kilwinning, Scotland; Sandy Cameron; Greig Canning; Andrew Carlisle, Pittsburgh; John Dew; Andrew Donlon; Michael Fitzhenry; Jamie Forrester; Bill Geddes, Dumfries, Scotland; Steven Gray; Jenny Hazzard, Edinburgh; Angus J. MacColl; Cameron MacDougall; Cameron May; Ben McClamrock; Peter McGregor, Dunfermline, Scotland; James McHattie, Summerside, Prince Edward Island; Sean McKeown; Ashley McMichael; Derek Midgley; Craig Muirhead, Stirling, Scotland; John Mulhearn; William Rowe; Innes Smith; Darach Urquhart; Calum Watson; and Brodie Watson-Massey.

A-Grade Hornpipe & Jig
1st Stuart Liddell
2nd Brodie Watson-Massey, Edinburgh
3rd Cameron May, Lesmahagow, Scotland
4th Sandy Cameron, Roybridge, Scotland
5th Angus D. MacColl
Judges: Robert Barnes, Michael Grey, Patricia Henderson

B-Grade Hornpipe & Jig
1st Ruairidh Brown, Dunblane, Scotland
2nd Jonathon Simpson, Bo’ness, Scotland
3rd Callum Wynd, Dunblane, Scotland
4th Ross Miller, Glasgow
5th Alastair Brown, Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland
Judges: Euan Anderson, Bruce Hitchings

In the Junior piping, for those younger than 18, Maggie McConnachie of New Zealand was the overall winner in the 17 and younger category.

Juniors
17 and younger (21 entered and competed)
Piobaireachd
1st Maggie McConnachie, New Zealand
2nd Lachlan Rennie, Broughty Ferry, Scotland, “The Glen Is Mine”
3rd Rory Cairns, Edinburgh
4th Niklas Helmcke, Germany
Judges: Roddy Livingstone, Bill Wotherspoon

MSR
1st Christopher Drummond, Bathgate, Scotland
2nd Maggie McConnachie
3rd Lachlan Rennie
4th Douglas Baird, Torphins, Scotland
Judges: Peter Hunt, Ronnie McShannon

15 and Younger
Piobaireachd (11 entered)
1st Jack Folan, Perth, Scotland
2nd Archie Leonard, Aberdeen, Scotland
3rd Alisdair Bullock, Lochawe, Scotland
4th Callan Erskine, Perth, Scotland
Judges: Peter Hunt, Ronnie McShannon

MSR (10 entered)
1st James Silcock, Falkirk, Scotland
2nd Archie Leonard
3rd Alisdair Bullock
4th Mirren Silver, Inverness, Scotland
Judges: Roddy Livingstone, Bill Wotherspoon