(Videos) Ottawa Highlanders, Ian K. MacDonald walking on sunshine at Ontario’s 2026 Northumberland Games

Port Hope, Ontario – June 20, 2026 – The Grade 2 Ottawa Highlanders won the top band competition, and Ian K. MacDonald, Whitby, Ontario, won the Piper of the Day trophy in gleaming sunny and warm weather at the Northumberland Scottish Festival Highland Games held at the Agricultural Park close to the northern shore of Lake Ontario.

The event was formerly known as the Cobourg Highland Games, but moved a few years ago to neighbouring Port Hope, continuing to be sanctioned by the Pipers & Pipe Band Society of Ontario.

pipes|drums is pleased to bring you multi-camera videos of the Grade 2 band competition.

Grade 1 (MSR, one played for judges’ comments)
78th Fraser Highlanders
Judges: Amy Garson, Iain Symington (piping); Dan Bist (drumming); John Elliott (ensemble)

Grade 2 (Medley, three competed)
1st Ottawa Highlanders (1,1,1,1)
2nd Peel Regional Police (2,3,2,2)
3rd Toronto Police (3,2,3,3)
Bass Section: Ottawa Highlanders
Judges: Trish Kirkwood, Ross Davison (piping); Mike Hunter (drumming); Andrew Berthoff (ensemble)

Grade 3 (Medley, five competed)
1st Glengarry (1,1,2,2)
2nd Rob Roy (2,3,4,1)
3rd St. Andrew’s College Association (5,2,1,3)
4th Durham Regional Police (3,5,3,4)
5th Peel Regional Police (4,4,5,5)
Bass Section: Glengarry
Judges: Amy Garson, Iain Symington (piping); Dan Bist (drumming); John Elliott (ensemble)

Grade 4 (Mini MSR
1st Durham Regional Police (1,1,3,1)
2nd Glengarry (2,2,2,4)
3rd MacEoin Ramsay (5,4,1,3)
4th Dundas (3,6,6,2)
5th Ottawa Caledonian (4,3,5,6)
6th Barrie (6,5,4,5)
Bass Section: Durham Regional Police
Judges: Trish Kirkwood, Ross Davison (piping); Mike Hunter (drumming); Andrew Berthoff (ensemble)

Grade 5 (March Medley)
1st Smiths Falls Gordon (2,2,3,1)
2nd Peel Regional Police (1,1,6,2)
3rd Henderson Highlanders (3,3,1,3)
4th Kingston Police (5,4,4,4)
5th of Lindsay (6,5,5,6)
6th Glengarry (4,7,7,5)
7th Niagara Regional Police (7,8,2,8)
8th Rob Roy (8,6,8,7)
Bass Section: Smiths Falls Gordon
Judges: Amy Garson, Iain Symington (piping); Dan Bist (drumming); John Elliott (ensemble)

Juvenile (March Medley, two competed)
1st Durham Regional Police (2,2,1,1)
2nd Glengarry (1,1,2,2)
Bass Section: Glengarry
Judges: Amy Garson, Iain Symington (piping); Dan Bist (drumming); John Elliott (ensemble)

Solo Piping
Professional
Piobaireachd
1st Ian K. MacDonald
2nd Aidan Bowen
3rd Sean McKeown
4th Jacob Dicker
Judge: Andrew Berthoff

2/4 March
1st Daniel Carr
2nd Sean McKeown
3rd Jacob Dicker
4th Ian K. MacDonald
5th Aidan Bowen
6th Andrew Hutton
Judge: John A. Elliott

Strathspey & Reel
1st Sean McKeown
2nd Daniel Carr
3rd Ian K. MacDonald
4th Jacob Dicker
5th Andrew Hutton
6th Aidan Bowen
Judge: Hector MacDonald

Jig
1st Ian K. MacDonald
2nd Jacob Dicker
3rd Sean McKeown
4th Aidan Bowen
5th Jamie York
Judge: Michael Grey