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Edinburgh residents Iain Speirs and Cameron Drummond each took home £300 for winning the Piobaireachd and MSR events at the North Berwick Games in overcast but fairly warm conditions.

Willie McCallum won the Lochaber Gold Axe (An Tuagh Oir) for piobaireachd, and also the Strathspey & Reel in the top solo piping events at the annual Lochaber Gathering at the Nevis Centre on Scotland’s west coast.

Robert Gibb and Steve Watterson had the best days in the senior piping at the annual Atholl & Breadalbane Gathering in cloudy but warm and dry weather.

Callum Beaumont was awarded the Silver Chanter in his first appearance in the prestigious event at a packed drawing room at Dunvegan Castle, Isle of Skye. His tune was “Lament for the Earl of Antrim.”

Andrew Carlisle won the overall Trophee MacCrimmon for music from Scotland, Brittany and Ireland, on the Sunday, and then took the Open Piobaireachd event on Monday. In the light music, competitors had to play all three selections consecutively, resulting in the audience remaining throughout the competition . . .

wenty turned out to compete in the senior solo piping at the annual Ballater Games in the shadow of Balmoral Castle, where Greig Canning, Derek Midgley and Greig Wilson won the Piobaireachd, March and Strathspey & Reel, respectively . . .

Michael Elder won the Dunvegan Medal and Innes Smith the Colonel Jock Clasp, while Roddy MacLeod snagged two of the light music firsts at the annual Skye Gathering . . .

Although he didn’t win an event, John Mulhearn enjoyed the most consistency overall at the annual Mallaig & Morar Highland Games, this year held down the road at Morar. Organizers added a fifth in each event with the larger-than-usual entry . . .

Eleven competed in mixed conditions at the Killin Games, where Greig Canning, Craig Muirhead and Matt Wilson soaked up the firsts.

Bruce Jones of London Ontario, a member of the Grade 5 Forest City Celtic Pipe Band and valued member of the London Fire Fighters Pipe Band, died on August 3, 2013, at the Glengarry  Highland Games in Maxville, Ontario. Immediately following the band’s competition performance Bruce did not feel well […]

No piper or drummer’s trip to Scotland in August is complete without checking out at least a few Grade 1 band practices leading up to the World Championships on August 17-18. For the dozenth consecutive year, pipes|drums Magazine brings our faithful readers the practice and appearance schedules of the top bands competing at the big event.

Alan Russell of Fife enjoyed a solid day at a warm but blustery Aboyne Highland Games against 12 other pipers, winning the Piobaireachd and thr March, and placing second in the Strathspey & Reel.

Harry’s been awash in all the rain of late, and he had to cancel last week’s darts match. Thankfully, none of the mates were coming anyway, and no one was left standing in the rain. The same could not be said of folks showing up to attend the St. Andrew’s […]

The Peel Regional Police Pipe Band won the 2013 North American Championship before large crowds at the Glengarry Highland Games in weather that was more like West Lothian than Ontario. It was the fourth consecutive North American Championship won by the band. The Ontario-based 78th Fraser Highlanders elected to miss the event in order to perform at a concert in Ohio. Total number of bands was 52, an increase of four from 2012. In a sweep that could be unprecedented at Maxville, Alex Gandy won all four light music events, easily winning the Piper of the Day award. Stay tuned to pipes|drums for video from the Grade 1 and Grade 2 band competitions . . .

Jimmy Bell of New Jersey gained the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada) on the first day of the Glengarry Highland Games, held at the Maxville Anglican Church against 12 other contestants. In the Gold Medallist Bar to the Gold Medal for previous winners, Alex Gandy of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, won against nine other players. The organizers capped the number of entrants at 22, and reported that eight applicants were turned down in the Gold Medal event. Reay Mackay judged both events.

What piper hasn’t dreamed of having a high-A like Roddy MacLeod’s? The tinkling, perfectly pitched note has become a trademark . . .