Results

The second and final day of the 2025 Northern Meeting saw Stuart Liddell of Inveraray, Scotland, win his fourth Clasp, reserved for winners of at least one of the Highland Society Gold Medals at Inverness or Oban. He went on to win the Premier/A-Grade Hornpipe & Jig event. Sarah Muir of Glasgow won the A-Grade MSR, catapulting her into the Silver Star Former Winners’ MSR competition for the rest of her piping days.

Brodie Watson-Massey of Edinburgh added his name to the history books by winning the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal at the 2025 Northern Meeting, the world’s longest-running and most important non-invitational solo piping competition. It was Watson-Massey’s first time playing in the event after winning the 2024 Silver Medal for Piobaireachd at the same venue. Apart from Steven Leask, who won the Argyllshire Gathering Gold Medal, the Inverness prize list featured different pipers.

Winning both light Open music events, Ben Duncan of Edinburgh won the aggregate trophy in the senior events at the 2025 Blairgowrie & Rattray Highland Games, which featured the usual large entry of solo pipers for a final run through of tunes before the Northern Meeting at Inverness.

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.

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.