The Abernethy Highland Games take place on Saturday, August 13, 2022 at The Forest Village in Nethy Bridge within the Cairngorms National Park. Solo piping entries close on August 4, and the solo piping entry form can be found here.
The solo piping and chanter events start at 10.30 and will be as follows:
EVENT 1: CHANTER 12 years and under (March, any choice). Competing for the Craiglynne Centenary Cup
JUNIOR LOCAL
‘Local’ means open to residents of Badenoch & Strathspey who have been in full time residence there (a) for the 6 months immediately prior to the Games, or (b) previously for more than 10 years.
EVENT 2: 14 years and under (March)
EVENT 3: 15 to17 years (March, any choice). Competing for the Bank of Scotland Trophy
EVENT 4: March, Strathspey and Reel, 17 years and under. Competing for the Morag McGillivray Cup
SENIOR OPEN
EVENT 5: Pibroch (choice of three). Competing for the Lord Strathspey Cup
EVENT 6: March (choice of three).
EVENT 7: Strathspey and Reel. Competing for the Banks Brothers Centenary Trophy
EVENT 8: Jig. Competing for the Ibbertson Memorial Cup
JUNIOR OPEN
EVENT 9: March (four-part). 17 years and under.
EVENT 10: Strathspey and Reel. 17 years and under. Competing for the George Centenary Trophy.
EVENT 11: Jig. 17 years and under.
The Gordon Cup: awarded to competitor who accumulates most points in the open piping.
The David Grant Blyth Cup: awarded to the most promising competitor aged 17 years or under.
The Solo Piping Competition Judges will be Ronald Maclean (Junior piping), Duncan Watson (Senior piping) and Jack Taylor (Senior piping). Piping Convenor, Peter Grant, contacted bagpipe.news with this tribute to their long-standing Senior Piping Judge, Norman Matheson MBE, who passed at the start of 2022, and also to welcome Dr Jack Taylor to adjudicate at the Games:
“We are very sad to have lost our nationally admired piper and judge Norman Matheson MBE, who died at the beginning of this year. As a junior piper from Avonside by Tomintoul some 74 years ago, Norman competed at the Nethy Games. In later times, in conjunction with fellow piper turned judge, Duncan Watson, Norman, for many years, served as Senior Piping Judge both at Abernethy and at his local Tomintoul Games where he was recently honoured for his lengthy period of service.
“In addition to being revered in the piping world for his extensive research into the Piobaireachd, Norman, a distinguished surgeon in Aberdeen, was author of the popular book, Speyside Memories. In 2019 Norman wrote and illustrated his second book, Speyside Odyssey, the story of the Atlantic Salmon. Profits from sales went to the conservation body, the Atlantic Salmon Trust.
“This year we are fortunate in being able to call on the services of our respected Judges, Ronald Maclean and Duncan Watson, and for the first time, to welcome Dr Jack Taylor to our adjudicating team.
“Jack is a native of St Andrews, and was taught there by Bert Barron before going on to study piobaireachd with the great Robert Brown and Robert Nicol, the legendary Bobs of Balmoral while he studied medicine at the University of Aberdeen.
“He presided over the Piobaireachd Society for 12 years, and among his solo piping awards were the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting in 1973, the Gillies Cup Open Piobaireachd at the Scottish Piping Society of London’s competitions in 1977 and the Silver Chanter at Skye in 1984.
“Now retired from his career as General Practitioner in Aboyne, he continues to be in high demand as a judge and teacher around the world.” Peter Grant, Piping Convenor
