Archive
Cool but dry conditions prevailed at the Royal Braemar Gathering, where 17-year-old Cameron Bonar of Surrey, British Columbia, was the overall winner in the senior solo piping events, taking two seconds and a third against a strong field.
Ewan Henderson has stepped down as pipe major of Grade 1 Police Scotland & Federation. The band is continuing to work on returning to competition in 2026. A new pipe-major has not yet been determined, but Pipe-Sergeant Duncan Nicholson, a former pipe-major of the band, would appear to be an […]
The Globe and Mail is the biggest and most important newspaper in Canada. Its September 3rd edition featured Vancouver’s Grade 1 Simon Fraser University Pipe Band on the print front page and prominently across its online versions as part of the media outlet’s “Mastering It” series of profile articles. It’s […]
The determined Houston resident discusses his online platform designed to assist those with CF by learning the Highland bagpipes
We asked the RSPBA what the cash prizes were for all grades, since it is often assumed that the awards decrease with each grade after Grade 1.
Seventeen-year-old Cameron Bonar of Surrey, British Columbia, had a perfect five firsts in five events in beautiful weather at the 2025 Chatsworth Country Fair, one of the premier solo piping events in the UK. With a total purse of more than £3500 at stake in the Open category, Chatsworth is one of the world’s most financially rewarding solo piping competitions.
A capacity crowd of well-dressed guests gathered to hear four of the world’s top solo pipers perform in a recital setting at the Caledonian Hotel in Scotland’s capital city’s city centre for the annual Captain John A. MacLellan MBE Memorial Dinner & Recital Competition.
Wins in the 2/4 March and Jig and solid prizes in the other events gained Callum Wynd of Stirling, Scotland, the overall trophy at the annual Birnam Highland Games. Twenty-two competed in warm and sunny conditions . . . until about 3 pm, when constant rain came down on the Piobaireachd event to its conclusion.
Cameron MacDougall of South Orange, New Jersey, late of Nigg, Scotland, won the Lochaber Gold Axe at the annual Lochaber Gathering, events held at locations within the West Highland town. Sandy Cameron of Roy Bridge, Scotland; Sandy Cameron, Lesmahgow, Scotland; and Calum Brown, Aberdeen, did well overall through the top events.
The morning started wet for the traditional march to Mossfield Park led by 2025 Oban Gold Medallist Steven Leask, as is the tradition. Conditions cleared for the all-outdoor light music competitions.
It was Steven Leask of East Kilbride, Scotland’s big day, writing his name into the history books by winning the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal at the Argyllshire Gathering. Leask gained the prize against 24 other pipers and gets an invitation to the 2025 Glenfiddich Championships, which will be his first time playing in the event.
After a record number of entries from all over the world were reviewed, Mark Christy from Camrose, Alberta, Canada, emerged the winner of the pipes|drums 2025 Pick The Six contest! Mark got the Grade 1 World’s prize list spot on to be part of a draw with the entry from […]
We speak with Neill Mulvie about the Highland Society of London and its sponsorship of Highland piping events since 1781.
We continue with Part 2 of our panel discussion on potential applications of artificial intelligence in competitive piping and drumming. AI might be used more in our world than we realize, and we can expect much more in the near and far future. We can’t say whether it will be […]
Winning two firsts and a second in the three senior solo piping events on offer, Zephan Knichel of Lynwood, Washington, successfully kept possession of the overall trophy at the annual Glenisla Highland Games, which he won in 2024. Nine competed in a mix of sun and clouds throughout the dry day.
The post-World’s transfer season started about a minute after the final results were announced at Glasgow Green, and Grade 1 Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia got things started officially with the appointment of 29-year-old Bradley Parker as pipe-sergeant. Parker becomes the first appointed pipe-sergeant for the band under Pipe-Major […]