2026 Argyllshire Gathering Day 1: McKeown wins Gold Medal; Wilson victorious in Sr. Piob; Knichel takes Silver Medal; a Former Winners MSR for Johnston; Pavlovic wins MacGregor

Oban, Scotland – August 26, 2026 – Sean McKeown of Ajax, Ontario, was the winner of the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal for Piobaireachd, adding his name to piping’s history books and earning an invitation to the 2026 Glenfiddich Championship in October.

McKeown had been knocking on the door of the coveted award, placing second and gaining other prizes in the event at Oban and its sister contest at the Northern Meeting in Inverness.

He becomes the twelfth Canadian piper born in Canada to win a Gold Medal, following Bill Livingstone (Inverness 1977; Oban 1979); Jack Lee (Inverness 1981; Oban 2001); Colin MacLellan (Inverness 1982; Oban 1992); Jim McGillivray (Inverness 1985; Oban 1991); Bruce Woodley (Inverness 1993); John Cairns (Oban & Inverness 1999); Bruce Gandy (Inverness 2002; Oban 2003); Alan Bevan (Inverness 2008; Oban 2013) Glenn Brown (Inverness 2009); Andrew Hayes (Inverness 2010; Oban 2019); and Ian K. MacDonald (Oban & Inverness 2016).

After two hours of deliberation by the judges, Greg Wilson of Christchurch, New Zealand, was announced the winner of the Senior Piobaireachd, an event reserved for Gold Medallists at the Argyllshire Gathering or Northern Meeting. He also claims a Glenfiddich invite.

In the first announced results announced, Zephan Knichel of Lynwood, Washington, won the Silver Medal, and Alex Pavlovic of Houston won the MacGregor Memorial Piobaireachd competition for pipers younger than 25. Four of the nine prizes awarded in the two competitions went to American pipers.

With the Silver Medal, Knichel can compete in the Highland Society of London Gold Medal events for at least a year, but will be ineligible to compete in the Silver Medal again.

The final event on Wednesday was the Former Winners MSR, which Finlay Johnston of Glasgow won, and re-qualified for the Glenfiddich after winning the 2025 Bratach Gorm, With a second in the Senior Piobaireachd, Iain Speirs is almost assured of an invitation to the event.

So, the likely list so far of 2026 Glenfiddich invitees: Alasdair Henderson (Masters winner); Finlay Johnston (Bratach Gorm winner and FWMSR Oban winner); Stuart Liddell (Glenfiddich 2025 and 2025 London Champion); Sean McKeown (Oban Gold Medal); and Iain Speirs (second in the Oban Senior Piobaireachd); and Greg Wilson (Senior Piobaireachd winner).

Highland Society of London Gold Medal
1st Sean McKeown, “Port Urlar”
2nd Andrew Donlon, Washington, DC, “Lament for Captain Donald MacKenzie”
3rd Darach Urquhart, Glasgow, “Fare Thee Well Donald”
4th Chris Armstrong, Glasgow, “Lament for Captain Donald MacKenzie”
5th Connor Sinclair, Crieff, Scotland, “The MacDonalds Are Simple”
Judges: Jimmy Banks, Alan Forbes, John Wilson

Also competing: Calum Brown, Aberdeen; Glenn Brown; Gordon Bruce, Kilwinning, Scotland; Kyle Cameron, Tobermory, Scotland; Sandy Cameron, Glasgow; Ben Duncan, Edinburgh; Brendon Eade, Waikato, New Zealand; Alex Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; Nick Hudson, Houston; Cameron MacDougall, South Orange, New Jersey; Angus MacPhee, Inverness, Scotland; Cameron May, Dillerburn, Scotland; Ben McClamrock, Bethesda, Maryland; Gordon McCready, Renfrew, Scotland; John McDonald, Aberdeen; Derek Midgley, Tinton Falls, New Jersey; Sarah Muir, East Kilbride, Scotland; Innes Smith; Brodie Watson-Massey; and Callum Wynd, Stirling, Scotland

Senior Piobaireachd
1st Greg Wilson, “The Phantom Piper of Corrieyairack”
2nd Iain Speirs, Edinburgh, “My Dearest on Earth, Give Me Your Kiss”
3rd Stuart Liddell, Inveraray, Scotland, “Nameless – Cherede Darieva”
4th Cameron Drummond, Edinburgh
5th Brodie Watson-Massey, Edinburgh
Judges: Murray Henderson, Bob Worrall, Bill Wotherspoon

Also competing: Callum Beaumont, Guardbridge, Scotland; Glenn Brown, Glasgow; Cameron Drummond, Edinburgh; Stuart Easton, Palmerston North, New Zealand; Jamie Forrester, Haddington, Scotland; Bruce Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; Andrew Hayes, Nepean, Ontario; Alasdair Henderson, Dunoon, Scotland; Nick Hudson, Houston; Finlay Johnston, Glasgow; Steven Leask, East Kilbride, Scotland; Jack Lee, Surrey, British Columbia; Stuart Liddell, Inveraray, Scotland; Angus D. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland; Ian K. MacDonald, Whitby, Ontario; Colin MacLellan, Edinburgh; Roddy MacLeod, Glasgow; Peter McCalister, Dunblane, Scotland; Willie McCallum, Glasgow; Fred Morrison, Bishopton, Scotland; Douglas Murray, Cupar, Scotland; Connor Sinclair, Crieff, Scotland; Innes Smith, Dunblane, Scotland; John-Angus Smith, London; and Craig Sutherland, Crieff, Scotland.

Silver Medal
1st Zephan Knichel, “Lament for the Iolaire”
2nd Ruairidh Brown, Dunblane, Scotland, “Lament for the Iolaire”
3rd Ross Miller, Linlithgow, Scotland
4th Bobby Durning, Garland, Texas
5th Andrew Smith, Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland
Judges: Euan Anderson, Mike Cusack, Ronnie McShannon

Also competing (alphabetical by last name): Joe Biggs, Bowmanville, Ontario; Cameron Bonar, Surrey, British Columbia; Alistair Brown, Kyleakin, Scotland; Eireann Cameron, Burleton, Scotland; Greig Canning, Kirkcaldy, Scotland; Callum Carn, Glasgow; Ross Conner, Campbeltown, Scotland; John Dew, Crieff, Scotland; Jacob Dicker, Maxville, Ontario; Mike Fitzhenry, Paisley, Scotland; Edward Gaul, Dundee; Liam Kernaghan, Auckland, New Zealand; Anna Kummerlöw, Kladrum, Germany; Dan Lyden, Timonium, Maryland; Edward McIlwaine, Vancouver; James McPetrie, Edinburgh; Bradley Parker, Chapelhall, Scotland; Andrew Pattison, Troon, Scotland; Jonathan Simpson, Borrowstounness, Scotland; and Campbell Wilson, Pizen, Czechia.

Also competing: Chris Armstrong; Calum Brown; Glenn Brown; Ben Duncan; Alex Gandy; Bruce Gandy; Nick Hudson; Alistair Lee, Coquitlam, British Columbia; Jack Lee; Stuart Liddell; Angus D. MacColl; Angus J. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland; Cameron MacDougall; Roddy MacLeod; Willie McCallum; Fred Morrison; Sarah Muir; Douglas Murray; Allan Russell, Kelty, Scotland; Connor Sinclair; Iain Speirs; and Craig Sutherland.

Also in the final: Abby Long, Houston; Peter MacKay, Glasgow; Liam Nicolson, Glasgow; and Magnus Stone, Natick, Massachusetts.

Heat 1 contestants (excluding those in the final, alphabetical by last name)
Douglas Baird, Bathgate, Scotland; Alasdair Bullock, Dalmally, Scotland; Beatrix Carter, Washington, DC; Christopher Drummond, Bathgate, Scotland; Calum Dunbar, Inverness, Scotland; Sam Foote, Christchurch, New Zealand; Arran Green, Stirling, Scotland; Fraser Hamilton, Paisley, Scotland; Charlie Mack, Port Seton, Scotland; Eala McElhinney, Glasgow; Calan McGuigan, Oban, Scotland

Heat 2 (excluding those in the final, alphabetical by last name)
Hugh Anderson, Tobermory, Scotland; Arran Brown, Campbeltown, Scotland; Arthur MacKay, Livingstone, Scotland; Lewis Maxwell, Alva, Scotland; Christopher McCartan, Lochgilphead, Scotland; Ryan McCreadie, Livingstone, Scotland; Lily Robertson, Oban, Scotland; James Silcock, Falkirk, Scotland; Flora Stone, Natick, Massachusetts; Jack Watson, Kilmarnock, Scotland; Alistair Williams, Dunblane, Scotland.

All of the Wednesday events were held at indoor venues. The second day of Argyllshire Gathering competitions will be outdoors at Mossfield Park on the outskirts of Oban. Mercifully, Thursday’s forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and a high of 22°C.

Stay tuned for more results from the 2026 Argyllshire Gathering as they are announced.