Orkney pipers’ contributions recognized with British Empire Medal in 2026 King’s Honours

The Kirkwall City Pipe Band of Orkney is celebrating the success of two of their finest members, after Raymond “Raymie” Peace and Andrew “Andy” Cant were each awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for their services to piping, culture and the Orkney community.

“I am absolutely delighted and very proud to be named on the 2026 King’s New Year Honours list for services to Music, Culture and to the community in Orkney,” Peace said.

Starting on the pipes in 1977 as a pupil of Arnold Calder, then the pipe-major of Kirkwall City, 63-year-old Raymie Peace has served as the band’s pipe-major and has taught dozens of new and experienced pipers for more than 30 years.

“I find it extremely satisfying helping the band into the future,” Peace said. “I really enjoy playing at various events within the parishes and islands of Orkney and meeting loads of characters along the way. I still enjoy all aspects of my lifelong piping hobby and the Kirkwall City Pipe Band, and where it has taken me over the years.”

A fiddler as well as a piper, Andy Cant has been a dedicated member of Kirwall City for many years, and is one of Orkney’s most prolific composers of both pipe and fiddle music.

Kirkwall City has travelled extensively, including trips to Denmark, Barbados, Japan and New York. The band was founded in 1919 and, although it didn’t compete in 2025, has competed successfully in the past, including winning Grade 4B at the British Champions and third in 4B at the Worlds in 2006. With Peace as pipe-major, the band was promoted to Grade 4A and sixth at the 2007 World Championships.

The band is a stalwart contributor to the Kirkwall community and the Orkney arts scene, in no small part because of Peace and Cant’s dedication.

Renowned piper Ann Gray of Calgary first played as a guest with the band in 2015 during a summer-long stay in Orkney. Since then, she’s been welcomed back regularly to enjoy the camaraderie and musical fun of the group, which performs regularly in Kirkwall and throughout Orkney.

“Raymie plays a huge role in the band,” Gray said. “The summer I played with the band, he showed up at absolutely every parade, every practice, every performance, always willing to help out with every aspect of the band. During the band’s centenary year, for the alumni parade through the town, I remember him in the warm-up/tuning area checking everyone’s uniforms, to make sure we were all in ship-shape form, even making sure we all had our hose turned down exactly right. In his words: ‘turn the top doon, and doon again.’ Always a good sport, always up for a chat and a laugh.

In 2024, Kirkwall City received the King’s Award for Voluntary Services.

The British Empire Medal was established in 1922 as an award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown.

Pipers and drummers have been formally recognized by the British monarch for their services to the art, including Member of the British Empire (MBE) recipients Captain John A. MacLellan, Donald MacLeod, Roddy MacLeod, Richard Parkes, Jim Kilpatrick, Tom Brown (Bathgate), and Mervyn Herron. Recipients of the BEM include Ian McLellan, Iain MacFadyen and Chris Armstrong.

As with piping’s Balvenie Medal, pipers and drummers cannot win one of these honours unless they are formally nominated.