Archive

Lochore, Scotland – June 17, 2023 – With straight firsts, Police Scotland Fife gained the win at the Lochore Highland Games in Fife against Johnstone, the only other Grade 1 band in the event. City of Discovery also enjoyed straight firsts from the judges as the only officially graded Grade […]

St. Thomas Alumni of Houston were the winners of both the Grade 1 Medley and MSR events at the Chicago Scottish Festival & Highland Games, which attracted a large crowd on a sunny 80°F day. It was the first year that the games, which had the largest band entry in North America in 2022, held a Grade 1 competition. Similarly, Ulster Scottish of Philadelphia won both Grade 2 events, and New Jersey’s St. Columcille United Gaelic took each of the Grade 3 contests.

On Father’s Day 2023, the renowned piper Willie McCallum shares a few thoughts on his beloved late dad, Willie McCallum Sr., the most influential person and friend in his life.

Cobourg, Ontario – June 17, 2023 – The Grade 2 Peel Regional Police Pipe Band were the winners of the top pipe band grade at the annual Cobourg Highland Games, held on the sunny shores of Lake Ontario and white cloud sunshine and temperatures in the low 20s. Due to […]

We’re pleased to launch “From Aboyne to Zorra,” a new series of features by Jeannie Campbell, MBE that takes a look back at historical Highland games and gatherings from around the world. These are fascinating pieces that revisit piping and drumming competitions of the past in the United States, Canada and, of course, Scotland, bringing back into to light the competitors and organizers that helped shape what we do today.

The founder and first pipe-major of the legendary Deeside Ladies Pipe Band, Lillian Nicolson (nee Keith) played a massive role in enabling women pipers and drummers to make their mark in pipe band competition, while simultaneously taking her own deserved place in the history books.

The latest contribution to our massive library. “Cragich” means “rocky” or “stony,” and the word is usually interpreted to mean that a tune is irregular in construction.

Newark, Delaware – December 10, 2023 – While many pipers were competing in Northern Ireland, Ontario and British Columbia, Bruce Gandy of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and 24 others were busy at the 2023 United States Amateur and Professional Piping Championships at the Amy DuPont Music Building at the University of […]

Georgetown, Ontario – June 10, 2023 – The first outdoor competition of the Ontario season was held, as usual, at the Georgetown Highland Games in sunny and comfortable weather. The 78th Fraser Highlanders won Grade 1, with only the Grade 2 Peel Regional Police challenging by “playing up” a grade. […]

Lurgan, Northern Ireland – June 10, 2023 – The first of the four majors in the 2023 RSPBA season,Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia won the UK Championship at Lurgan Park against a field of nine other Grade 1 bands. It was the first major championship win for the band […]

In a show of support for new Leading-Drummer Kerr McQuillan, Peoples Ford has extended its sponsorship agreement with the Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia organization of Bathgate, Scotland, for another two years. The deal covers title sponsorship of the group’s Grade 1 and Novice bands. The move coincides with Peoples Ford’s […]

In line with the organization’s policy of requiring all pipers and drummers performing with a band in competition to be properly registered, the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association will be checking the rosters of randomly-chosen bands as they come off from the contest circle at the UK Championships at Lurgan, […]

The families of about 120 young piping and drumming students at Larkhall Academy and 10 associated schools in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, will have a far easier time of it after the Scottish Schools Pipes & Drums Trust (SSPDT) awarded them £30,000 (about $50,000) for their pursuit of the art. Larkhall […]

The UK Championship on June 10th at Lurgan, Northern Ireland, is the first of four major events in the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association’s 2023 competition season and, despite tough economic challenges of post-pandemic Britain, the indomitable spirit of pipers and drummers A total of 80 entries across all grades […]

At a time when pipers, drummers and bands are concerned for the future for competitions being a primary performance platform, the City of Sacramento Pipe Band is getting the finger out, taking things into their own hands in an attempt to capitalize on new creative opportunities for players and public alike.

Greighlan Crossing Grade 3, the top contested band event, and Alastair Lee of Surrey, British Columbia, won the aggregate in the Open solo piping grade at the annual Bellingham Scottish Gathering. Weather was warm and dry on the unusually dusty grounds.