Features

It took a community to help pipes|drums deliver mo …

The pipes|drums New Year’s Honours celebrate 25 ye …

We’re always fascinated by what piques readers’ interest, and factors such as the date and time can affect statistics. Thanks mainly to pipes|drums sources providing tips and insights, and breaking the news is a clear benefit.

These are the stories that shine a light on topics and opinions, which aren’t “News,” per se, although sometimes simply bringing the issues to light can be considered newsworthy.

It’s a great time to take a look at the most-read articles of the year. We exclude the subscribers-only pieces, and, along with articles categorized as News and Features, we’ve decided this year to break out the Results reports as our first Top 10 list.

In 2025, we covered the triumphs, the challenges, the debates, and the breakthroughs that helped shape this art. Through your readership and viewership, your insights, and your passion, you’ve helped keep the conversation thoughtful, vibrant, and forward-looking. We hope your holidays are filled with good company and good cheer.

A later image of Jock McLellan It’s uncanny to us …

Finlay Johnston with the 2025 Ardmore Cup. It’s no …

The third and final part of our discussion concludes with ideas on how associations could help to make the transition successful or even possible. They all agree on one crucial issue.

We continue with the second in our three-part panel discussion, featuring John Cairns of Ontario, Scott MacDonald from California, and Scotland’s Kenny MacLeod, on the challenges of making a permanent leap from Grade 2 to Grade 1. In Part 2, the panel delves into ways to ensure the band remains viable both when it does not win in Grade 1 and when it returns to Grade 2, by choice or by force, as well as the idea of splitting Grade 1 and Grade 2 to make transitions easier.

There are so many in the piping world who Ian McLellan deeply influenced. We asked several of the greatest for their thoughts at this sad time.

John Cairns, Scott MacDonald and Kenny MacLeod discuss the reasons why traversing the bridge to Grade 1 (and staying there) is so difficult today, how the situation could be improved, methods to keep morale high, retain players tempted to join the winners, or even keep the band afloat.

“Playing in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is not for everyone, but it was for me. It completed my piping resume of things I wanted to do before I can’t play anymore.”

Hell Week, taking wrong turns, and a royal visit are all part of the second installment of piper Owen Reid’s 2025 Edinburgh Tattoo odyssey

In his new three-part piece, Owen Reid takes us on a new adventure: auditioning, being accepted, and performing as a member of the 2025 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Pipes & Drums.