Archive

The march-past has been a tradition at UK pipe band competitions for as long as they’ve existed, but for the first time, North American-style “massed bands” will be “trialled” at a Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association major championship, the European, in Perth, Scotland, on August 9th. It is not known […]

With an Sgùrr, the pinnacle of the Inner Hebrides Isle of Eigg, in the distance, Traigh Farm was once again the location for the annual Arisaig Highland Games, where 12 competed in the Senior (18 and older) solo piping events and six in the Juniors.

The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association has responded to pipes|drums’ request for comment and their perspective on Grade 3A City of Newcastle not being entered to compete at the 2025 World Championships. After receiving no response from RSPBA Chief Executive Colin Mulhern, pipes|drums was advised that Jackie Allan is the […]

Forty-five pipe bands and 259 solo pipers and drummers will descend on the tiny eastern Ontario farming town of Maxville to compete at the 2025 Glengarry Highland Games, Friday, August 1st, and Saturday, August 2nd, the world’s largest band and solo competition by number of events, 63 in all. The […]

Seventeen bands competed at the 2025 Pacific Northwest Scottish Highland Games at Enumclaw Expo Center on the western outskirts of Seattle. St. Thomas Alumni from Houston travelled the 2,000 miles to make a Grade 1 competition with Simon Fraser University. SFU won both events with first-place rankings from all eight judges. Greighlan Crossing continued their run of success in Grade 3 before heading far east for the North American Championships at the Glengarry Highland Games in Maxville, Ontario.

The Grade 3A City of Newcastle is a well-established band that competes regularly on the UK circuit, but it isn’t being permitted to show its stuff at the 2025 World Pipe Band Championships because the band’s secretary didn’t tick a box on the entry form. According to Pipe-Major Andy Clark, […]

Geordie Hunter started Maverick by launching colourful wooden practice chanters that have proven popular with pipers of all levels, from beginners to elite solo players like Finlay Johnston. Maverick has now launched the Mk2 practice chanter, which the company said is its most innovative instrument yet. The chanter promises thoughtfully […]

Campbell Wilson from Palmerston North, Zealand, but currently living in Plzen, Czech Republic, swept all three Senior solo piping events at the annual Airth Highland Games.

Compared with the UK Championships two weeks previous, there was a much stronger entry by bands at the 2025 Scottish Championships. With three firsts from the four judges, Field Marshal Montgomery won Grade 1 to secure the title, the second of the RSPBA’s four major championships, against a field of nine other contestants. It was the first major championship win for Pipe-Major Matt Wilson, who took over from the legendary Richard Parkes in the off-season, and Leading-Drummer Willie Glenholmes, also in his first season.

Exclusively for subscribers, Zephan Knichel reviews the new book by Richard McLauchlin: “If this book shows us anything, it’s that sameness does not make history. Taking chances, getting messy, making mistakes, and occasionally angering the establishment makes history.”

The countdown to the 150th birthday celebrations for the great John McLellan of Dunoon, Scotland, is in its final days until the opening of the Pipe-Major John McLellan DCM Photographic Exhibition at the Dunoon Burgh Hall on July 31st. Highland Society of London Gold Medallist and Inveraray & District pipe-sergeant […]

Sixteen days before the 2025 European Championships on August 9th in Perth, Scotland, the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association has informed Grade 1 bands that there will be a new draw for the order of play for both the Medley and MSR events. In a message sent to band secretaries […]

Charles-David Mitchell of Montréal won everything there was to win in the Grade 1 CLASP (Competition League for Adult Solo Pipers) in-person competition at the Inveraray Highland Games, to win the overall prize in a walk. The events were held concurrently with the Senior and Junior competitions on the Inveraray Castle estate. Contestants were fortunate to perform under shelters, but tuning up was challenging in the wet conditions.

Ben Duncan of Edinburgh won two of the three solo piping events on offer for those graded Premier or A by the Competing Pipers Association at the annual Inveraray Highland Games, thus gaining the overall trophy for the second straight year.

pipes|drums is pleased to bring you multi-camera 4K videos from the Grade 2 Medley competition at the 2025 Cambridge Scottish Festival in Cambridge, Ontario. The event had a smaller entry than usual, and only three in Grade 2, but fantastic weather attracted a good-sized crowd to the contest that used […]

The Macalester College Pipe Band won Grade 3, the top-contested band event at the 2025 Minnesota Scottish Fair & Highland Games, held on the campus of Macalester College, one of the top-ranked liberal arts colleges in the world. Macalester College President Dr. Sue Rivera presented the band with the President’s Jug