Vale of Atholl reportedly makes drumming change

The Grade 1 Robert Wiseman Dairies-Vale of Atholl Pipe Band has reportedly made a change to its drum section leadership. According to sources, Ian Tobin, the band’s leading-drummer in 2005, has allegedly left Vale of Atholl, and Vale corps drummer Alistair McNab has reportedly gone to take the L-D spot at the Grade 2 Polkemmet Pipe Band. McNab played with the Queensland Police in Australia with Pipe-Major Davey Barnes, who is now P-M of Polkemmet.

Paul Turner, who led Vale of Atholl’s drum section in the 1990s under Pipe-Major Ian Duncan, and in the past has led the drum sections of the Victoria Police and Royal Ulster Constabulary bands, has allegedly been invited return to Vale of Atholl, along with tenor-drummer Ian Sinclair. Sinclair is a pupil of “Haggis” MacLeod and has played with Turner before.

The Vale of Atholl band has called a meeting for September 22 to address the situation.

Vale of Atholl is led by Pipe-Major Andy Renwick, who succeeded Duncan in 2002. At Polkemmet Barnes has worked with James King since 2004 to rebuild the band, one of the oldest in the pipe band world, after it had fallen on difficult times.

Stay tuned for further details on the Vale of Atholl situation as they become available.

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