Kerr McQuillan: 2025 World Solo Snare Drumming Champion; Jordan Baillie wins Tenor Championship

Glasgow – October 18, 2025 – Kerr McQuillan of Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia won the 2025 World Solo Snare Drumming Championship held at Glasgow Caledonian University and organized by the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association. It was his second time winning the highest achievement award for individual pipe band drummers on earth.

McQuillan won, first by gaining entry to the semi-final via qualifying competition, and then going through to a 12-drummer final after an MSR round against 29 other snare drummers. The final comprised MSR and Hornpipe & Jig events, and the overall aggregate result determined the champion.

Kerr McQuillan was also announced the winner of the 2025 Champion of Champions league prize.

McQuillan’s victory kept 12-time World Solo Champion Steven McWhirter of Inveraray & District from edging closer to Jim Kilpatrick’s record of 16 World’s wins.

The event showed a strong result from Steven Shedden of Hawthorn, who won the MSR event to help him gain a third-place overall prize.

Jordan Baillie of Invereray & District successfully defended his adult World Solo Tenor Drumming title against 12 other competitors.

The RSPBA free-streamed the event, with a peak worldwide viewership of about 500. The live and online audience was also treated to superb piping accompaniment from pipers such as Stuart Liddell, Greg McAllister, Ross Miller, and David Wilton.

Adult Snare
Overall
1st Kerr McQuillan
2nd Steven McWhirter
3rd Steven Shedden
4th William Glenholmes, Field Marshal Montgomery
5th Alex Buchanan, Field Marshal Montgomery
6th Blair Brown, St. Thomas Alumni
7th Stephen Creighton, St Laurence O’Toole
8th Craig Lawrie, Uddingston
9th Derek Cooper, Ulster Scottish
10th Richard Black, Hawthorn
11th Blair Beaton, Inveraray & District
12th Glen Creighton, St Laurence O’Toole

MSR
1st Steven Shedden (1,1,6,2)
2nd Kerr McQuillan (3,2,5,1) (tie broken by more higher placings from judges – HP)
3rd Steven McWhirter (4,3,1,3)
4th William Glenholmes (2,5,8,4)
5th Blair Brown (7,6,3,8)
6th Richard Black (12,10,2,6) (HP)
7th Alex Buchanan (6,8,11,5)
8th Blair Beaton (5,11,4,11) (HP)
9th Stephen Creighton (9,4,9,9)
10th Craig Lawrie (11,7,7,10)
11th Derek Cooper (10,9,10,7)
12th Glen Creighton (8,12,12,12)
Judges: Gordon Brown, Lee Innes, Greg Dinsdale, Paul Turner

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Kerr McQuillan (1,1,1,1)
2nd Steven McWhirter (2,2,2,2)
3rd William Glenholmes (3,4,3,3)
4th Alex Buchanan (4,5,4,4)
5th Steven Shedden (6,3,5,5)
6th Blair Brown (7,7,7,6)
7th Stephen Creighton (5,6,10,7)
8th Derek Cooper (8,8,8,8)
9th Craig Lawrie (9,9,6,9)
10th Glen Creighton (11,12,9,10)
11th Richard Black (10,11,11,12)
12th Blair Beaton (12,10,12,11)
Judges: David Brown, Arthur Cook, Keith Orr, Gordon Parkes

Adult Tenor
1st Jordan Baillie
2nd Jill Watson, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
3rd Zra Pate, , Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
4th Kali Currie, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
5th Josh Cunningham, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
6th Mia Goodge, Police Scotland Fife

Snare Drumming

16-under 18
1st Calum Gibbs, ScottishPower
2nd Aaron Christie, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
3rd Tommy McAndrew, Simon Fraser University
4th Mark Mcendry, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
5th Joshua Green, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
6th Adam Bell, Glasgow Skye
Judges: Arthur Cook, Keith Orr

14-under 16
1st Jamie Coffee, Field Marshal Montgomery
2nd Nicholas Bowden, St. Thomas
3rd John McFall, Black Raven
4th Ethan Young, Syerla & District
5th Nicholas D’Couto, Uddingston
6th Gregor Noble Burntisland & District

Under 14
1st Matthew Brownlee, Syerla & District
2nd Megan Millar, Simon Fraser University
3rd Callum Freeburn, Ravara
4th Lexie Kerr, Syerla & District
5th Jacob Laird, Ravara
6th Flynn Bryson, North Lanarkshire Schools

14 – under 18
1st Sylvan Lawrence-Troy, Glasgow Academy
2nd Abigail Weir, North Lanarkshire Schools
3rd Kayde Neill, , North Lanarkshire Schools
4th Richie Sworn, Scotsh College Melbourne
5th Cameron Caskie, Glasgow Academy
6th Max Tucker, Scotsh College Melbourne

Juvenile Under 14
1st Henry Turkington, Down Academy
2nd Dylin Amin, George Heriot’s School
3rd Georgie O’Neill, George Watson’s College
4th Ashley Steele, Hollymount
5th Struan Richardson, Strathallan
6th Jack Semple, Hollymount

Tenor Drumming

Adult
1st Jordan Baillie
2nd Jill Watson, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
3rd Zra Pate, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
4th Kali Currie, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
5th Josh Cunningham, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
6th Mia Goodge, Police Scotland Fife
Judges: Naill West, Stevie McQuillan, Sharleen Muir

Under 14 Novice
1st Lucy Semple, Hollymount
2nd Rebecca Johnstone, Kilbarchan
3rd Lucy MacDonald, Lewis & Harris Youth
4th Armani Rijad, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
5th Sam MacIlveny, 1st Troon Boys Brigade
Judges: Naill West, Stevie McQuillan

14-under 18
1st Alan Guan, Scotch College Melbourne
2nd Isabel Caskie, Glasgow Academy
3rd Sam Graham, 1st Troon Boys Brigade
4th Struan Masson, Glasgow Academy
5th Lucie Queen, North Lanarkshire Schools
6th Freja Fauerskov, Glasgow Academy

Under 14
1st Kayli Folan, Perth & District
2nd Kian Byrne, Preston Lodge High School
3rd Ava McKirdy, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
4th Lucy Gordon, Buchan Peterson
5th Brianna O’Neill, George Watson’s College
6th Angel Blackhurst, East Ayrshire Caledonia

14-18
1st Emily Gill Deeside Caledonia
2nd Holly Lamont, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
3rd Amy Clelland, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
4th Olivia Carson, Lochgelly High School
5th Brian Kwong, Scotch College Melbourne
6th Oliver McIlwaine, McDonald Memorial

16 and over
1st Flora McNab, Peoples Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia
2nd Lily Page, George Watson’s College
3rd Erin McRobbie, Inveraray & District
4th Danielle, Easton, Denny & Dunipace
5th Grace Thompson, Inveraray & District
6th Lauren Hogg, George Herrito’s School