Bagpipe.News

A piping competition with a difference, with a cask of whisky as first prize, takes place at Raasay Distillery on September 7th. Sounds like an idyllic, early morning, road trip from West Central Scotland: drive up the side of Loch Lomond, through Glen Coe, over the bridge to Skye to meet the 0825 ferry from Sconser to Raasay... sip whisky in the Raasay Distillery while listening to some fabulous pipe music.

The Raasay Piping Competition - Bagpipe News How to get to Raasay You’ll need to get to Skye first. From there, you can catch the ferry to Raasay from Sconser. Sconser – Raasay is a Turn up and Go route – […]

The Captain John A MacLellan MBE Memorial is currently Edinburgh’s only premier solo piping event, and it also provides a rare platform for the playing of 20th century piobaireachd. One of the key successes of the dinner is bringing Captain John’s tunes into the popular competitive repertoire.

Ian K. MacDonald wins the Captain John A MacLellan MBE Memorial - Bagpipe News The black-tie event, organised by The Eagle Pipers’ Society, was held at The Caledonian Hotel, Edinburgh and was sold-out with 130 in attendance. Ian K. MacDonald was judged by […]

We are incredibly proud to offer the UK’s only Bachelor of Music curriculum dedicated to traditional and folk music, and the music of the Scottish Highland Bagpipe, in partnership with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

This unique degree offers the chance for students to concentrate on the total study of piping in all forms, whilst also developing their performance under some of the best players in the world, delivered through individual, small group and workshop teaching.

The course includes substantial study of the history, repertoire, contexts, traditions, performance practice and organology of the bagpipes, producing expert performers that have a deep understanding of their own, and other, traditions.

For more information on this unique opportunity, visit ➡️ https://bit.ly/4dX0AYR

Eight of the world’s best pipers will be competing at The Springbank Invitational Competition, held at the Argyll Arms Hotel, Campbeltown, Argyllshire, on Saturday, September 14, 2024, commencing 10am.

Competitors announced for the Springbank Invitational 2024 - Bagpipe News Eight of the world’s best pipers will be competing at The Springbank Invitational Competition, held at the Argyll Arms Hotel, Campbeltown, Argyllshire, on Saturday, September 14, 2024, commencing 10am. The […]

The Strathmore Schools Pipe Band Committee is seeking an enthusiastic and skilled Bagpipe Instructor, and Bass and Tenor Instructor, to develop a high-performing pipe band within the Blairgowrie and District Community Schools area.

Strathmore Schools Pipe Band seeking instructors for bagpipes, and bass and tenor drumming - Bagpipe News The Strathmore Schools Pipe Band Committee is seeking an enthusiastic and skilled Bagpipe Instructor, and Bass and Tenor Instructor, to develop a high-performing pipe band within the Blairgowrie and District […]

Jeannie Campbell MBE researched which marches were played by the Grade One bands at this year's Worlds and tells the stories of the composers and the people the tunes are named for.

Tunes played at the 2024 Worlds - Bagpipe News BY JEANNIE CAMPBELL MBE. At the 2024 world championships 14 bands played in Grade One. Each band played two MSR sets so if the choices of every band had been […]

Donald and Alasdair will present a programme featuring a rich variety of pipe tunes with guitar accompaniment, as well as a broad selection of songs both traditional and original.

Smallpipes and guitar duo tour the UK in autumn 2024 - Bagpipe News Scottish musicians Donald WG Lindsay and Alasdair Roberts have been friends for thirty years, since their teenage days. In these three decades, their careers in music have taken then down differing yet similarly unorthodox […]

Entries for the Balmoral Classic close on October 1, 2024

Balmoral Classic entries open for pipers and drummers 21 and Under - Bagpipe News The Balmoral School of Piping & Drumming invites young pipers and drummers to apply to participate in the Balmoral Classic: US Junior Solo Bagpiping & Drumming Championships. The competition will […]

Results from day one of the Argyllshire Gathering.

Cameron Drummond wins the Gold Medal at Argyllshire Gathering 2024 - Bagpipe News The first day of the Argyllshire Gathering took place yesterday, Wednesday, August 22, and Cameron Drummond won the Gold Medal and an invite to the Glenfiddich Piping Championship in October. […]

As the Argyllshire Gathering kicks off this morning, Jeannie Campbell uses her piping chronovisor to look back 30 years to Oban in 1994 and finds very familiar names in the prize lists – and a few names who will be treading the boards today in the Senior and Former Winners competitions.

History of the Argyllshire Gathering: the 1994 competition - Bagpipe News • PART 59 • BY JEANNIE CAMPBELL MBE. In 1994 the Gathering was held on 24th and 25th August. Competitors for the Gold Medal were required to submit ten tunes of […]

Thanks to Robert Paterson for the results and photo from Crieff Highland Gathering.

Solo piping results from Crieff Highland Gathering - Bagpipe News By Robert Paterson, Director, Crieff Highland Gathering Crieff Highland Gathering enjoyed 19 competitors the day after the worlds on Sunday, August 18, 2024. With six under 18s and 13 Seniors […]

The four Grades of the CLASP World Solo Amateur Piping Competition took place from Monday to Thursday at Piping Live! 2024.
The overall winners were Lou Lanaro in Grade 4, Owen MacPherson in Grade 3, Michael Saxer in Grade 2 and Brady Webb in Grade 1.

Results from the CLASP World Solo Amateur Piping Competition at Piping Live! 2024 - Bagpipe News On Tuesday 13th August, the Grade 4 CLASP World Solo Amateur Piping Competition at Piping Live! 2024 was held in the NPC Otago street. The overall winner was Lou Lanaro. […]

Inveraray & District Pipe Band became Grade 1 World Champions for the third time on August 17, 2024.

Results from the World Pipe Band Championship 2024 - Bagpipe News Inveraray & District Pipe Band became Grade 1 World Champions for the third time on August 17, 2024, with St Laurence O’Toole winning the Grade 1 Drumming. Today’s Grade 1 […]

Piping Live! 2024 is just about over, but if you have made it through the week (and the Worlds today) and are hungry for more tunes, there is a Sunday Survivor Session in the Pipers' Tryst tomorrow, August 18th starting at 2pm.

Piping Live! Friday highlights 2024 - Bagpipe News There was a special performance at Kelvingrove Museum on Friday afternoon from Ross Ainslie for his Gig in the Gallery. He opened the set with a stunning slow air; his […]

It's a Friday night party at Piping Live! 2024 🎶 🎉

One of Scotland's most progressive folk acts, Croft No. Five are joined by the incredibly talented Ailis Sutherland and John Mulhearn for an unmissable evening at Saint Luke's.

Join us from 7:30pm on Friday 16th August for music, dancing and good times.

Get your tickets now ➡️ https://bit.ly/3YkP84H

It's the final day of Piping Live! Street Cafe with performances starting at noon. There is a Gig in the Gallery from Ross Ainslie at Kelvingrove at 2pm, an NPC piping museum tour with Hugh Cheape at 3pm, and The Big Street Cafe Session led by Finlay MacDonald also at 3pm.
So bring your instruments, or grab a pie and a pint, and come along and enjoy the tunes.

Piping Live! Thursday highlights - Bagpipe News Angus MacColl was the winner of the Pipe Major Alasdair Gillies Memorial Recital for 2024, and earlier in the evening, 20-year-old Bobby Allen from Scotland won the final of Pipe […]

The 'hot tickets' for today's Pipe Idol Grand Final have sold out, but can be viewed online from 5pm today – details in the link below.

Piping Live! Wednesday highlights 2024 - Bagpipe News The sun was shining in Glasgow and the pipe band performances on Buchanan Street drew large crowds to enjoy the music of Scotch College Pipe Band from Victoria, Australia. With […]

Inveraray & District won the International Quartet Competition last night at Piping Live! 2024.

It was a day of dodging heavy showers in Glasgow yesterday, but it didn't dampen the spirits of busy crowds around the National Piping Centre and Piping Live! Street Cafe. There were tasty pints from Drygate Brewery to help wash down a selection of delectable 'scotch pies' on sale at the bar – including an intriguing kebab pie, that MUST be tried this week!

Piping Live! Tuesday highlights 2024 - Bagpipe News The International Quartets competition was won by Inveraray & District in front of a packed out audience in the Strathclyde Suite of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. The popularity of […]

Thanks to Pete Grant for the report, results and photos from Abernethy Highland Games.

Piping results from Abernethy Highland Games 2024 - Bagpipe News By Pete Grant, Solo Piping Convenor Abernethy Highland Games Results took place on Saturday, August 10. This year we were delighted to welcome back Duncan Watson as our adjudicator in […]

Mackenzie Fraser was the winner of Pipe Idol on the first day of Piping Live! and goes through to the final on Thursday.

Get to Glasgow this week if you can and enjoy the atmosphere and buzz of Glasgow's International Bagpipe Festival in it's 21st year.

Piping Live! Monday highlights 2024 - Bagpipe News Glasgow’s much-loved Piping Live! festival burst into life for its 21st edition bringing the sights and sounds of Scotland’s national instrument to streets and venues across the city. The sensational […]

Finlay Johnstone was the winner of the Masters Piobaireachd event, and Willie McCallum won the MSR, but Alan's third place in both events gives him the overall prize.

Alan Bevan wins the R. G. Hardie & Co. Masters at Piping Live! 2024 - Bagpipe News Pipe Major of Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, Alan Bevan, was the winner of the R. G. Hardie & Co. Masters Solo Piping Competition on Monday, August 12 at Piping Live! 2024, […]

Thanks to Jen Mackintosh for the results and photos from Aberfeldy Show & Games

Solo piping results from Aberfeldy Games 2024 - Bagpipe News Aberfeldy Show & Games was held on Saturday, August 10. Conditions were mostly dry, but very windy day with 13 Senior and 7 Junior competitors. The Junior winner on piobaireachd […]

FM's win today at the Europeans mean that the four majors in 2024 have been shared by four bands, setting up an exciting Grade 1 contest at the Worlds next weekend.

Results from the European Pipe Band Championships 2024 - Bagpipe News The European Pipe Band Championships took place today, August 11, hosted by the Perth Highland Games. The full results are as follows: Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3A Grade 3B […]

Thanks to Donald Mackay for the results and photos from Killin Games.

Solo piping results from Killin Games 2024 - Bagpipe News The Killin Games took place on on Wednesday, August 7. The Champion Piper was John Dew and the full results were as follows: Piobaireachd March Strathspey and Reel Jig U18 […]

Seonaidh Forrest was the U16 overall winner and 16 year old Giacommo Cecchini Fraser was the overall winner of the 16 and over events.

Junior piping results from Isle of Skye Highland Games 2024 - Bagpipe News While the senior pipers got to play indoors for their Skye Games’ competitions, the hardy local youngsters had to brave the games field‘s very windy and wet conditions on Wednesday, […]

The six Maket Collective Ambassadors for 2024 are Andrea Boyd (piper), Brìghde Chaimbeul (piper), Mackenzie Forrest (snare drummer), Margaret Houlihan (piper), Sarah Staub (tenor drummer) and Hazel Whyte (piper).

National Piping Centre launch the Maket Collective to showcase women in piping and drumming - Bagpipe News The Maket Collective aims to promote and amplify the voice and talent of influential female musicians through their stories and performances, allowing everyone, especially other women and girls in piping and drumming to take inspiration, […]

With an increased number of bands competing in the 2024 World Pipe Band Championships, the contest is set to be even more fiercely contested this year. Representing 13 countries from as far afield as Australia, Hong Kong and Oman, 204 bands will take part.

The countdown to the 2024 World Pipe Band Championships is on! - Bagpipe News It’s now just a week until Glasgow once again welcomes The World Pipe Band Championships – a spectacular highlight of Scotland’s annual cultural calendar that’s always highly anticipated and extremely popular. This […]

Sandy Cameron was the winner of the Dunvegan Medal at the Skye Games. Thanks to Cailean Maclean for results and photos.

Solo piping results from Dunvegan Medal 2024 - Bagpipe News Sandy Cameron was the winner of the Dunvegan Medal at the Skye Games on August 6. Previous winners of the medal compete for the the Col. Jock MacDonald Clasp, and […]

Thanks to Allan J. MacKenzie for the results and photos from Mallaig and Morar Highland Games on August 4.

Solo piping results from Mallaig and Morar Highland Games - Bagpipe News The Mallaig & Morar Highland Games took place on Sunday, August 4. Towards the end of the day, as rain threatened, Sandy Cameron lifted the John Gillies, Bourblach Memorial Cup […]