2026 UK Champions: Field Marshal Montgomery

Belfast – June 13, 2026 – A total of 69 bands were entered across the nine grades at the United Kingdom Championships, and it was Field Marshal Montgomery who came away with the top title in the Grade 1 MSR contest. The band also won the drumming. The win comes after the band’s fifth-place finish at the British Championships two weeks earlier.

In sixth, Ravara of Northern Ireland captured their first championship prize since being elevated to Grade 1 after the 2024 season, and St. Laurence O’Toole of Dublin returned to the prizes with a third, after being shut out at the British. Scottish Power did not make the trip, and 2025 World Champions Inveraray & District opted to travel to compete and deliver two concerts over two nights at the Chicago Highland Games.

Royal Burgh of Annan continued their solid season, winning the Grade 2 Medley competitions.

Grade 3 to Grade 4 was populated mostly by bands from Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, with few Scottish bands making the trip.

Grade 1 (MSR, seven competed)
1st Field Marshal Montgomery (Northern Ireland) (1,1,1,3)
2nd Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia (Scotland) (3,3,2,1)
3rd St. Laurence O’Toole (Ireland) (2,2,4,2)
4th Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (Scotland) (4,4,3,4)
5th Police Scotland Fife (Scotland) (5,5,5,5)
6th Ravara (Northern Ireland) (6,6,6,6)
7th Police Scotland & Federation (7,7,7,7)
Judges: Mark Faloon, Don Bradford (piping); Keith Orr (drumming); Tom Brown (ensemble)

Grade 2 (Medley, eight competed)
1st Royal Burgh of Annan (Scotland) (2,1,1,2)
2nd Manorcunningham (Ireland) (1,3,2,1)
3rd Uddingston (Scotland) (3,4,3,3)
4th Johnstone (Scotland) (4,2,7,4)
5th Denny & Dunipace (Scotland) (5,5,8,5) (ens.pref.)
6th Tullylagan (Northern Ireland) (6,6,4,7)
Judges: David Middleton, William Garrett (piping); Stuart Coils (drumming); John Moles (ensemble)

Grade 3A (10 competed)
1st Burntisland & District (Scotland) (2,2,2,2)
2nd Cloughfin (Northern Ireland) (1,1,7,1) (ens.pref.)
3rd Major Sinclair Memorial (Northern Ireland) (3,3,1,3)
4th McNeillstown (Northern Ireland) (5,4,6,4) (ens.pref.)
5th Matt Boyd Memorial (Northern Ireland) (4,6,4,5)
6th Kildoag (Northern Ireland) (7,7,8,6) (ens.pref.)
Judges: John Reville, Donald MacPhee (piping); Adrian Hoy (drumming); Gordon Lawrie (ensemble)

Grade 3B (six competed)
1st Drumlough (Northern Ireland) (1,1,3,1)
2nd Ballyboley (Northern Ireland) (2,2,5,4)
3rd New Ross & District (Ireland) (4,3,1,6)
4th Kilbarchan (Northern Ireland) (3,4,6,2)
5th Down (Northern Ireland) (5,6,2,3)
6th William Kerr Memorial (Northern Ireland) (6,5,4,5)
Drumming: New Ross & District (Ireland)
Judges: John Reville, Donald MacPhee (piping); Adrian Hoy (drumming); Gordon Lawrie (ensemble)

Grade 4A (10 competed)
1st Carrigaline (Ireland) (1,1,1,1)
2nd Gransha (Northern Ireland) (4,5,2,3) (ens.pref.)
3rd Altnaveigh Memorial (Northern Ireland) (3,3,3,5)
4th Moneygore (Northern Ireland) (5,4,4,2)
5th Cullen (Ireland) (2,2,10,6)
6th Ballybriest (Northern Ireland) (7,6,5,7)
Drumming: Carrigaline (Ireland)
Judges: David Middleton, Bill Garrett (piping); Stuart Coils (drumming); John Moles (ensemble)

Grade 4B (nine competed)
1st Tullylagan (Northern Ireland) (4,4,1,1) (ens.pref.)
2nd Hollymount (Northern Ireland) (1,1,5,3)
3rd Uddingston Strathclyde (Scotland) (2,2,4,6)
4th City of Limerick (Ireland) (5,6,2,2)
5th Bready Ulster Scots (Northern Ireland) (5,6,3,5)
6th Joseph Forde Memorial (Northern Ireland) (3,3,7,7)
Judges: Mark Faloon, Don Bradford (piping); Keith Orr (drumming); Tom Brown (ensemble)

Juvenile (two competed)
1st George Watson’s College (Scotland) (1,1,2,1)
2nd Preston Lodge High School (Scotland) (2,2,1,2)
Judges: David Middleton, Bill Garrett (piping); Stuart Coils (drumming); John Moles (ensemble)

Novice Juvenile A (three competed)
1st George Watson’s College (Scotland) (1,1,1,2)
2nd High School of Dundee (Scotland) (2,2,2,1)
3rd Preston Lodge High School (Scotland) (3,3,3,3)
Judges: John Reville, Donald MacPhee (piping); Adrian Hoy (drumming); Gordon Lawrie (ensemble)