April showers May with trophies on huge day at 2026 SPA solos

Glasgow – April 11, 2026 – Cameron May of Lesmahagow, Scotland, enjoyed a day for the ages with three firsts and a second to gain the overall championship trophy and an additional £50 at the annual Scottish Pipers Association solo competitions. By winning both the A-Grade 2/4 March and the Strathspey & Reel, May competed in the Former Winners MMSSRR.

Ben Duncan of Edinburgh, who had won the A-Grade light music events in previous years and is therefore ineligible to play in them again, won the Premier/A-Grade Piobaireachd and was second in the Former Winners MMSSRR.

The SPA was founded in 1910. The trophies for the organization’s annual solo contest feature many of the most famous names in piping history.

Premier/A-Grade
Piobaireachd (Donald MacLeod Trophy, submit four)
1st Ben Duncan, “The Finger Lock” (£110)
2nd Cameron May, “Lament for the Earl of Antrim” (£80)
3rd Jonathon Simpson, Falkirk, Scotland, “The Battle of Bealach nam Brog” (£50)
4th Bill Geddes, Glasgow, “Nameless, hiharin dro o dro” (£30)
5th Callum Wynd, Stirling, Scotland, “The MacDonalds Are Simple”
Judges: Ronnie McShannon, Bill Wotherspoon

Former Winners MMSSRR (Eachen Caimbeul Trophy, submit four of each tune type, for previous winners of the 2/4 March or Strathspey & Reel)
1st Cameron May (£100)
2nd Ben Duncan (£70)
3rd John Dew, Glasgow (£50)
4th Callum Wynd
5th Keith Bowes, Glasgow
Judges: Peter Hunt, Ronnie McShannon, John Wilson

2/4 March
1st Cameron May
2nd Ruairidh Brown, Dunblane, Scotland
3rd Craig Muirhead, Bannockburn, Scotland
4th Kyle Cameron, Rosemarkie, Scotland
5th Jonathon Simpson
Judges: Roddy Livingstone, John Wilson

Strathspey & Reel
1st Cameron May
2nd Jonathon Simpson
3rd Craig Muirhead
4th Ruairidh Brown
5th Alistair Brown, Ayr, Scotland
Judges: Roddy Livingstone, John Wilson

6/8 March (Duncan MacFadyen Memorial Trophy, own choice of tune played before the Preier/A-Grade Piobaireachd, one prize)
1st Calum Watson, Glasgow (£50)
Judges: Ronnie McShannon, Bill Wotherspoon

B-Grade
Piobaireachd (submit three)
1st Hector Munro (£90)
2nd Anna Kummerlöw, Kladrum, Germany (£60)
3rd Keith Bowes (£40)
4th Norrie Gillies, Milnathort, Scotland (£30)
5th Ben Mulhearn, Troon, Scotland
Judges: Peter Hunt, Robert Wallace

2/4 March
1st Ruairidh Brown
2nd Kyle Cameron
3rd Jonathon Simpson
4th Alistair Brown
5th David Bruce
Judges: Roddy Livingstone, John Wilson

Strathspey & Reel
1st Jonathon Simpson
2nd Ruairidh Brown
3rd Alistair Brown
4th David Bruce
5th Calum Carn
Judges: Roddy Livingstone, John Wilson

C-Grade
Piobaireachd (submit three)
1st Callum Davidson (£80)
2nd Craig Muirhead (£50)
3rd Iain Simpson (£40)
4th Fraser Hamilton (£30)
5th Thomas Turner
Judges: Alan Forbes, Derek Fraser

2/4 March
1st Kyle Shead (£40)
2nd Thomas Fallon (£25)
3rd Chris Coates (£20)
4th Lewis Maxwell (£10)
5th Catriona Norman
Judges: Euan Anderson, Tom Johnstone

Strathspey & Reel
1st Kyle Shead (£40)
2nd Thomas Fallon (£25)
3rd Scott Garden (£20)
4th Catriona Norman (£10)
5th Lewis Maxwell
Judges: Euan Anderson, Tom Johnstone