The 10 pipers are confirmed for 2025 Glenfiddich Solo Championship

The 10 contestants for the 2025 Glenfiddich Solo Piping Championship on October 25th at Blair Castle in Blair Atholl, Scotland, have been confirmed, precisely as pipes|drums had calculated about a month ago:

• Callum Beaumont, Guardbridge, Scotland (reigning Glenfiddich Champion; Silver Star winner)
• Alan Bevan, Surrey, British Columbia (Masters winner)
• Ben Duncan, Edinburgh (second in the Former Winners’ MSR at the Argyllshire Gathering)
• Alasdair Henderson, Edinburgh (London Champion)
• Nick Hudson, Houston (second in the Senior Piobaireachd at the Argyllshire Gathering)
• Finlay Johnston, Glasgow (Bratach Gorm winner; Oban Former Winners’ MSR winner)
• Steven Leask, Glasgow (Oban Gold Medallist)
• Stuart Liddell, Inveraray, Scotland (Clasp winner; Oban Senior Piob winner)
• Angus D. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland (second in the Clasp)
• Brodie Watson-Massey, Edinburgh (Inverness Gold Medallist)

Pipers compete in Piobaireachd and double MSR events, with the aggregate of both winning the championship.

The National Piping Centre and William Grant Foundation, organizers of the event, went to second-prizewinners in the Northern Meeting Clasp and Argyllshire Gathering Senior Piobaireachd and Former Winners MSR, after Beaumont, Liddell, and Johnston won two qualifying events each.

According to the National Piping Centre, the order of preference in the event of double qualifications is:

1. Clasp at Inverness
2. Oban Senior Piobaireachd
3. Former Winners’ MSR at Oban
4. Silver Star MSR at Inverness

If more invitations are needed beyond the second prize winners at those events, they go to the third prize winners in the same order of preference. The Silver Star was third in the pecking order until it exchanged spots with the Oban Formers Winners’ MSR in 2019.

It will be Duncan, Leask, and Watson-Massey’s debut at Glenfiddich; the other seven have competed there at least once. Beaumont, Johnston, Liddell, and MacColl have each competed at and won the event several times.

Judges for the Piobaireachd will be Patricia Henderson, Dr. Angus MacDonald and Jack Taylor and for the MSR, Peter Hunt, lain MacFadyen and Jim McGillivray. Throughout the day, A. John Wilson will be the fear and tighe (host).

Tickets to attend the competition and the ceilidh afterwards are now on sale. It’s (£20/£15) to go to the contest only, and (£90/£85) to get into the competition and the Pipers’ Ceilidh at the Atholl Palace Hotel in nearby Pitlochry. Tickets to attend only the ceilidh are unavailable, though one could do that, but not at a lower price.

For those not fortunate enough to be there in-person, a ticketed livestream is available for £15.

The Pipers’ Ceilidh includes a glass of sparkling wine, a three-course dinner, a ceilidh band, and “a very special performance to finish the night.”

Stay tuned for exciting details of the annual pipes|drums Pick the Glenfiddich Five contest!