Police Scotland Fife appoint David Wilton pipe-major

The Grade 1 Police Scotland Fife of Scotland have appointed David Wilton pipe-major. Wilton follows long-time leader Douglas Murray, who resigned from the post after seven years with the band.

Wilton most recently was pipe-major of the Grade 2 MacKenzie Caledonian of Dundee, Scotland, where he is a full time teacher of piping in the local schools. He held the role for two years before leaving after the 2019 World Championships.

Before MacKenzie, Wilton led Lomond & Clyde of Glasgow, where he took the band to Grade 1 status, before relocating to Dundee and giving up the band due to travel pressures. He had been a member of Grade 1 ScottishPower for several years.

Wilton has the distinction of also being a World Champion Highland dancer, and has enjoyed good suucess in solo piping competitions.

David Wilton (left) with fellow contestants at the 2015 Capt. John A. MacLellan Memorial Medal Recital-Competition. [Photo Derek Maxwell]

He joins lead-Drummer Mick O’Neill as the band, along with every other band in the UK, works to build back after almost 18 months unable to practice and compete in-person.

Police Scotland Fife has been in and out of Grade 1 major championship prize lists over the last decade. The band enjoyed a solid 2019 season under Murray and O’Neill, finishing seventh at the World Championships.

Confusion over the band’s identity was created recently when it was assumed by some that the group would merge with the Glasgow Police Pipe Band, upon the latter being renamed the Police Scotland & Federation Pipe Band. The Glasgow Police name change was to reflect Scotland’s unified police force. Police Scotland Fife Pipe Band’s status was not altered. The band was formerly known as the Fife Police, which remains its handle on social media accounts.

Glasgow Police change name to Police Scotland & Federation Pipe Band
July 1, 2021