Finlay Johnston wins 2025 Bratach Gorm at London, gains Glenfiddich invitation

London – October 31, 2025 – Finlay Johnston of Glasgow won the Bratach Gorm at the annual Scottish Piping Society of London’s solo competitions held at the Caledonian Club in the UK capital. It was his second consecutive Bratach Gorm victory.

With the win of the designated qualifying event, Johnston receives an invitation to the 2026 Glenfiddich Solo Piping Championships in October, joining Stuart Liddell of Inveraray, Scotland, who qualified last week by winning the 2025 Glenfiddich.

First held in 1938 and reserved for Highland Society of London Gold Medallists and winners of the Gillies Cup Open Piobaireachd at London, the Bratach Gorm (“Blue Banner”) is one of the piping world’s most prestigious prizes.

Also held on Friday were the A-Grade and B-Grade MSR events, which were won by Callum Wynd and Ross Connor, respectively.

The Bratach Gorm started at 4:30 pm and prizes were announced around midnight.

Bratach Gorm (15 competed)
1st Finlay Johnston, “My Dearest on Earth, Give Me Your Kiss”
2nd Iain Speirs, Edinburgh, “In Praise of Morag”
3rd Stuart Liddell, Inveraray, Scotland, “Port Urlar”
4th Cameron Drummond, Edinburgh, Lament for the Earl of Antrim”
5th Connor Sinclair, Crieff, Scotland, “Lady Margarate MacDonald’s Lament”
Judges: Derek Fraser, A. John Wilson, Bill Wotherspoon

Also competing were Callum Beaumont, Guardbridge, Scotland; Glenn Brown, Glasgow; Bruce Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; Alasdair Henderson, Edinburgh; Nick Hudson, Houston; Steven Leask, East Kilbride, Scotland; Angus D. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland; Colin Maclellan, Edinburgh; Innes Smith, Bridge of Allan, Scotland; and Brodie Watson-Massey, Edinburgh.

A-Grade MSR (15 entered; Strachan Cup; for those graded A in light music by the CPA, previous winners of the London Scottish Hodden Grey trophy, and the most recent winners of B-Grade light music events at the Argyllshire Gathering or Northern Meeting)
1st Callum Wynd, Stirling, Scotland
2nd Cameron May, Lesmahagow, Scotland
3rd Andrew Donlon, Washington, DC
4th Callum Watson, Edinburgh
5th John Dew, Glasgow
Judges: Eaun Anderson, Peter Hunt

B-Grade MSR (15 entered; London Scottish Hodden Grey Trophy; for CPA B-Grade pipers)
1st Ross Conner, Campbeltown, Scotland
2nd Keith Bowes Jr., Glasgow
3rd Jamie Elder, Auchtermuchty, Scotland
4th Anna Kummerlöw, Kladrum, Germany
5th Hector Munro, London
Judges: Tom Johnstone, Richard Parkes