Results

The latest “live online” solo piping contest run by the Competition League for Amateur Solo Pipers saw the usual worldwide entry of adult pipers who performed over two days via recorded live video, their selections assessed over the next month by the judges.

Abby Long of Houston was the overall winner of the 2025 George Sherriff Memorial Amateur Invitational Solo Piping Competition, held once again at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church. Unusually, three different pipers won each of the three events, with Long taking the Piobaireachd, Alex Pavolovic, also from Houston, winning the MSR, and Magnus Stone of Natick, Massachusetts, winning the 6/8 Marches event.

Angus D. MacColl of Benderloch, Scotland, was the overall winner of the fourth annual Sun Belt Invitational Piping Competition (“An Crios Gréine”) held at the Sheraton Orlando North Hotel. His first in the Piobaireachd and third in the Medley were enough to win the aggregate over runner-up Willie McCallum of Bearsden, Scotland.

On the second day of competitions, the overall Champion Piper of the 2025 solo piping competition of the Scottish Pipers Society of London was Stuart Liddell of Inveraray, Scotland, who had the best aggregate over the Premier Grade events, and thus gained a repeat invitation to the 2026 Glenfiddich Championships next October, joining Bratach Gorm winner Finlay Johnston.

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.

Hamish Hepburn of Christchurch won the Silver Chanter MSR, and Greg Wilson took the aggregate award in the top events at the 49th Silver Chanter Solo Piping Competition held at St. Andrew’s College.

Stuart Liddell of Inveraray, Scotland, was the overall winner of the 2025 Glenfiddich Invitational Solo Piping Championships, held for the fifty-second time in the Great Hall of Blair Castle. It was Liddell’s fourth time winning the most prestigious award in solo Highland piping.

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.

Benderloch, Scotland – October 11, 2025 – Winning …

Alex Pavlovic of Houston was the overall winner of the 2025 Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational Piping Competition against a field of nine other top amateur solo pipers from North America, held at Saint Mark Presbyterian Church. Pavlovic won the aggregate with firsts in the Piobaireachd and MSR events.

Callum Beaumont of Guardbridge, Scotland, won the biggest prize at the twelfth annual Captain John A. MacLellan MBE Memorial Solo Piping Competition for best aggregate results across the Premier Grade events. In addition to excellent prize money, he received the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Castle Trophy. Beaumont won on Piobaireachd preference in a tie with Sarah Muir of Glasgow.

On a Piobaireachd preference, Seumas Eade of Waikato, New Zealand, was awarded the 2025 Young Piper of the Year trophy at the annual event held at the Nelson Centre of Musical Arts against 17 other contestants in the Under-21 category.

Kris Coyle of Ballyclare, Northern Ireland, won the 2025 Northern Ireland Piper of the Year Championship, winning two second prizes and securing the award at the Adair Arms Hotel.

Thirty-five years after the last time he won it, Colin MacLellan returned to Ottawa to win his fifth Glengarry Cup, an event organized by the Ottawa Branch of the Pipers & Pipe Band Society of Ontario. To win the overall trophy, MacLellan won the Piobaireachd and was third in the MSR.

The tenth anniversary annual Kuala Lumpur Highland Games were held at the Bukit Kiara Equestrian & Country Resort with a record number of solo piping and drumming competitors.