On this day – April 21 – in 1949, Hector MacLean (pictured, right) won a composing competition sponsored by the Knightswood Highlanders of Glasgow Association. Forty entries were received, all apparently of a high standard. Hector’s winning entry was called The Knightswood Highlanders.
The tunes that were placed second and third – Allan Rowan of Port Appin by John MacLellan and, Knightswood Ceilidh by Donald MacLeod – both would become published by their composers but Hector’s composition disappeared. Even his family could not find it.
In spring last year, however, the tune was discovered in the museum at the College of Piping and the following report, below, was published in the March 2018 Piping Times. As readers will see, it is a cracking tune which will now hopefully be played more.
