Band of 30 young women to make a pitch for females in piping and drumming at Scotland v. Australia Women’s Rugby International match

Led by piping and drumming rights advocate and first-class piper Eilidh MacDonald, 30 young female pipers and drummers will take the Scottish Gas Murrayfield pitch as part of the sensational Scotland v. Australia Women’s Rugby International match on Saturday, September 26th, in Edinburgh.

The All-Girls Pipe Band will be the first of its kind for the Scottish Schools Pipes & Drums Trust, the national charity dedicated to supporting and developing piping and drumming opportunities for young people in schools and communities throughout Scotland.

More than 80 players under 21 applied, hoping to secure one of the 30 spots in the project, designed “to celebrate and showcase the growing number of talented young women involved in piping and drumming across Scotland.” Eighteen school communities in Scotland are represented.

MacDonald of Baga Brieg is pipe-major, Chloe Taylor from Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia is lead drummer, and Morven Walker will lead the bass and tenors.

“”The sad reality is that we see a steady attrition of girls in pipe bands as they leave school, and very few in the top bands. The barriers that exist are still very real and have been well documented.” – Eilidh MacDonald

“About 80 girls applied to be a part of this project, and it has been incredibly rewarding working with the 30 who were selected,” MacDonald said. “It’s cool to see them thriving in this all-girls band, especially because many mentioned they’re the only girl in their pipe band.

“The sad reality is that we see a steady attrition of girls in pipe bands as they leave school, and very few in the top bands. The barriers that exist are still very real and have been well documented.”

The average age of the band members is 15, and the youngest is 13.

“I wish it weren’t necessary to create projects like this,” MacDonald added. “But since it is, it’s been amazing to see what happens when we do. The girls are talented, respectful, and a joy to work with. They make me want to work hard to create environments within pipe bands that keep them coming back to play.”

Eilidh MacDonald has spearheaded several projects that spotlight the relative lack of females who continue in piping and drumming, the inequities they can face, and possible solutions to improve the situation.

She coordinated and led a performance by a handful of female pipers in the UK’s Grade 1 bands at the sold-out 2025 “SOLAS” concert by Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

MacDonald has also contributed two enlightening International Women’s Day projects for pipes|drums. In addition to her accomplishments as a solo piper and with several top-grade bands, she gained a PhD in Physiology & Biophysics in 2020.

A correction was made on Sept. 22, 2026: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Chloe Taylor was with another Grade 1 band, rather than Shotts & Dykehead, which is accurate.