Results from the Lochaber Youth Competitions 2024

By Ken A. Cameron, Chairman, LPS.

Lochaber & District’s Youth Piping & Drumming Competition kicked off at 9.30am in the Gaelic Primary School on Saturday, March 23 in Fort William. Our chanter and piping adjudicators this year were P/M Alistair Duthie, Jon Don MacKenzie, P/M Moira Robertson and P/M D.J. MacIntyre, while Drumming adjudication was handled by Brian Graham.

We had sixty entries spread across the fifteen classes on offer and the total number of individual competitive performances was 134. Entrants came from afar – and further – while Lochaber entries in the piping events were low in numbers (two), although high in quality, with places being picked up by both. Lochaber Drummers, though, were more numerous, with a good number having been put forward by their enthusiastic Schools Instructor, Allan Craig.

The day’s timetable went roughly to plan and we have had some great feedback from competitors and their supporters, all of whom enjoyed their day and said they would back next year – including one young piper who had travelled up from North Wales with his family specially for this, only his second ever competition! And he won a place amongst some very stiff contestants, so went away happy.

There was a lot of planning involved, loads of effort (and shoe-leather expended!) on the day, while the aftermath goes on! Planning towards our next big competition – The Lochaber Gathering – is already underway. Our Society may be small, but as a team we pack a fair punch. Thankfully, our work doesn’t come unsupported and we are so grateful to our sponsors for their generosity in assisting with some funding and with prizes-in-kind. The National Piping Centre, in providing vouchers for tuition and for livestreaming of the Glenfiddich, has been extremely generous with their support and these prizes were very readily received by their winners.

P/M Donald MacLeod Piobaireachd

1. Fraser Hamilton – Paisley
2. Hector Finlayson – Skye
3. Ronald MacColl – Appin
4. Lily Robertson – Oban

Piobaireachd – Ground only

1. Morla Bruce – Alexandria
2. Innes McCready – Renfrew
3. Euan McCartan – Lochgilphead

15-18yrs Piobaireachd

1. Fraser Hamilton – Paisley
2. Hector Finlayson – Skye
3. Arran Green Stirling
4. Fergus Dorrington – Howwood
5. Ronald MacColl – Appin
6. Silas Jones – Abergele

15-18yrs March

1. Arran Green – Stirling
2. Fraser Hamilton – Paisley
3. Hector Finlayson – Skye
4. Fergus Dorrington – Howwood
5. Rio Arkell – Campbeltown
6. Innes McCready – Renfrew

15-18yrs Strathspey and Reel

1. Arran Green – Stirling
2. Hector Finlayson – Skye
3. Fraser Hamilton – Paisley
4. Fergus Dorrington – Howwood
5. Euan McCartan – Lochgilphead
6. Innes McCready – Renfrew

15-18yrs Jig

1. Arran Green – Stirling
2. Fergus Dorrington – Howwood
3. Fraser Hamilton – Paisley
4. Hector Finlayson – Skye
5. Ronald MacColl – Appin
6. Rio Arkell – Campbeltown

14 & under Piobaireachd

1. James Silcock  – Oban
2. Lily Robertson – Oban
3. Callan Erskine – Perth
4. Grace Kelman – Inverness
5. William Muirhead – Bathgate
6. Mark Hewitt – Oban

14 & under March

1. Owen McCreadie – Livingston
2. Grace Kelman – Inverness
3. Mairi Finlayson – Skye
4. Sam de Vries – Skye
5. Lily Robertson – Oban
6. Sasha MacCallum – Oban

14 & under Strathspey and Reel

1. Owen McCreadie – Livingston
2. Mairi Finlayson – Skye
3. William Muirhead – Bathgate
4. Seonaidh Forrest – Skye
5. James Silcock – Falkirk
6. Mark Hewitt – Oban

14 & under Jig

1. Seonaidh Forrest – Skye
2. Grace Kelman – Inverness
3. Allan MacColl – Fort William
4. Lily Robertson – Oban
5. William Muirhead – Bathgate
6. Morla Bruce – Alexandria

10 & under Practice Chanter

1.  Aonghais Iain Ferguson – Skye
2. Brodie Ferguson – Skye
3. Sandy MacDonald – Skye
4. Archie Ferguson – Skye
5. Roan James – Skye

14 & under Practice Chanter

1. 1 Eilidh Raeside – Dumbarton

Novice Slow Air

1. Finn MacDermid – Kyle of Lochalsh
2. Alasdair Campbell – North Connel
3. Mirren Silver – Inverness
4. Calum Munro – Skye
5. Hamish de Vries – Skye
6. Daniel MacIsaac – Roy Bridge

Novice March

1. Alasdair Campbell – North Connel
2. Finn MacDermid – Kyle of Lochalsh
3. Daniel MacIsaac – Roy Bridge
4. Mirren Silver – Inverness
5. Alasdair Bullock – Lochawe
6. Calum Munro – Skye

16 & under Slow Air

1. Arran Green – Stirling
2. Seonaidh Forrest – Skye
3. Hector Finlayson – Skye
4. Hugh Anderson – Mull
5. Lily Robertson – Oban
6. Grace Kelman – Inverness

14 & under Stick & Pad Drumming 

1. Alfie Robertson – Oban
2. Ross MacColl – Appin
3. Eilidh McCreadie – Livingston
4. Logan Tonks – Lochyside
5. Sophie MacPhee – Fort William
6. Maya Cameron – Fort William

14 & under Snare Drumming (2 parts)

1. Seonaidh Anderson – Mull
2. Maria Stewart – Kyle of Lochalsh
3. William Muirhead – Bathgate
4. Donald Finlayson – Skye

15-18yrs Snare Drumming (4 parts)

1. Seonaidh Anderson – Mull
2. Maria Stewart – Kyle of Lochalsh
3. Donald Finlayson – Skye
4. William Muirhead – Bathgate