Double-Gold-Dougie Murray in Mac-Cal recital April 17th

Remarkably, the church is allowing BYOB, so audience members 18 and older can bring and consume their favourite beverage(s) at the Friday night event.

In 2014, Dougie Murray became only the thirteenth piper to win both the Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting’s Highland Society of London Gold Medals for piobaireachd in the same year. The two events were first offered in a single solo piping season in 1879.

“The Double” is one of solo piping’s rarest of competition feats, last achieved by Ian K. MacDonald of Ontario in 2016.

Murray came up through Bob Shepherd’s renowned Ballingry School teaching program in Fife, Scotland, and went on to be a pupil of Bert Barron and then the great Donald MacPherson for nearly 20 years.

He was a member of the Grade 1 Shotts & Dykehead, winning the World Championships with the band in 2003 and 2005, before joining his more local Grade 1 Fife Constabulary in 2007. He was pipe-major of the band for several years, bringing them to regular prizes in major championships before handing it over to current Pipe-Major David Wilton. Murray recently joined Grade 1 Field Marshal Montgomery.

“The Mackenzie Caledonian Pipe Band is proud to welcome Douglas Murray to Broughty Ferry for what promises to be a memorable evening of first-class piping,” said band spokesperson David Hunter.

Also performing will be young rising-star piper Kai Hay from Methil, Scotland.

Tickets to the recital are £17 (£14 for youths and older folks) and available directly from the band.

Formed in 1918, Mackenzie Caledonian is one of the world’s longest-running civilian pipe bands. The organization has had an extensive teaching program for many years, and its Grade 2 band will return to competition in 2026 after a hiatus. The organization has been presenting fundraising recitals by top soloists for several years.