The Argyllshire Gathering and The Northern Meeting will not go ahead this year.
On behalf of The Northern Meeting, Alan Forbes (Piping Convenor) said in a short statement: “With great regret, the Northern Meeting Piping Committee has decided to cancel the competition again this year due to the ongoing uncertainty created by the coronavirus epidemic.
“Progress with the vaccination programme and the relaxation of many of the constraints associated with the epidemic give us hope that we will be able to go ahead as normal next year and we very much look forward to welcoming you back to Inverness then.”
For Oban, Piping Convenor, Torqui Telfer said: “The Argyllshire Gathering is in accord with the view of the Northern Meetings Piping Committee that, given the current impact of the pandemic and in the interests of clarity, the principal competitions and awards at this year’s Gatherings should not take place.
“However, given that 2021 is the 150th anniversary of the Argyllshire Gathering*, the Piping Sub-Committee of the Argyllshire Gathering will continue planning on the basis that social restrictions will reduce sufficiently to permit one off competitions (outdoor/indoor) to take place which will specifically mark the occasion of the 150th anniversary”.
The decisions were widely expected by the piping world.
* Bagpipe.News is currently serialising the history of the Argyllshire Gathering.