A record-breaking number of young musicians from across Scotland took to the stage at this year’s Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships, making it the most widely attended event in the competition’s history.
Held at Kilmarnock’s William McIlvanney Campus on Sunday, March 9, the Championships saw 94 bands from 144 schools compete across eight categories, showcasing both traditional and contemporary performances.
Among the standout moments of the day was the victory of Sgoil Bhàgh a’ Chaisteil in the highly competitive Freestyle category, winning £2500.
Organised by the Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust (SSPDT), the Championships continue to highlight how piping and drumming are becoming more accessible in Scottish schools.
Thanks to the Trust’s efforts, more young people — regardless of gender, background or financial circumstances — are now learning these traditional instruments as part of their education.
“This year’s Championships have been a landmark event,” said Lindsay MacKenzie, CEO of SSPDT. “Not only did we see a record number of bands, but we also witnessed an incredible sense of community among the young musicians. The camaraderie, teamwork and shared passion for piping and drumming were truly inspiring.
“Schools across Scotland are embracing piping and drumming as an inclusive and accessible way to bring young people together, fostering teamwork, confidence and a sense of belonging through music.”
The Championships featured a range of categories, designed to provide both a high-level competitive platform and an encouraging environment for school bands with minimal or no competition experience.
The winners in each category were:
Freestyle
1. Sgoil Bhàgh a’Chaisteil
2. Gordonstoun School
3. Renfrewshire Schools ‘A’
4. Tynecastle Youth Community Pipe Band
5. Preston Lodge High School
Juvenile
1. George Watson’s College
2. Dollar Academy
3. George Heriot’s School
Novice Juvenile A
1. George Watson’s College
2. Lochgelly High School
3. North Lanarkshire Schools
4. West Lothian Schools
Novice Juvenile B
1. George Watson’s College
2. Skye Youth Pipe Band
3. Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools
4. Merchiston Castle School
Junior A
1. Fettes College
2. Morrison’s Academy
Junior B
1. The Glasgow Academy
2. High Life Highland Pipe Band
3. Dumfries & Galloway Schools
4. Gordonstoun School
5. Alford Academy
Junior C
Joint First: Isle of Arran Music Schools & Kinross-shire Schools
3. Strathmore Schools
4. Glasgow City Schools
5. James Gillespie’s High School
Quartets
1. East Dunbartonshire Schools
2. Perth & Kinross Schools
3. East Renfrewshire Schools
4. Govan Schools Community
5. St Leonards School
The prestigious Eilidh MacLeod Endeavour Award, which recognises outstanding dedication and resilience, was presented to Lewis and Harris Youth Pipe Band. Runners up were Tynecastle Youth Community Pipe Band (second place) and Isle of Skye Youth Pipe Band (third place).
East Ayrshire Provost Claire Leitch said: “What an incredible honour for East Ayrshire to host the Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Championships for the fourth time at the William McIlvanney Campus in Kilmarnock.
“Incredibly, the standard of competition seems to improve year on year, with really magnificent performances from the young pipers and drummers.
“It was a day to celebrate the rich tradition of pipe band music, but more than that it was an opportunity to celebrate the dedication and passion of young pipers and drummers from across Scotland. Events like this benefit our young people in ways beyond the music itself.”
Since its launch in 2015, SSPDT has worked to break down barriers to participation by providing free instrument loans, tuition grants and internship programmes.
The Trust continues to advocate for equal opportunities in music education, ensuring that every pupil has the chance to learn the pipes and drums alongside other school instruments. It currently supports young musicians and schools across 27 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities, expanding access to piping and drumming nationwide.
The 2025 Championships were made possible through generous sponsorship, with support from Wallace Bagpipes (Junior C competition), The Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust (Freestyle category), the William Grant Foundation and The Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo, creating more opportunities for young musicians on the national stage.
Tynecastle Youth Community Pipe Band
The Tynecastle Youth Community Pipe Band (TYCPB) chair, Catherine Pierce, spoke about the development of young people through their involvement in the band: “TYCPB are coming up to our tenth anniversary, but this is our eighth year here at the Championships. The project began in 2015-2016, and we will be celebrating our ten year anniversary next year in 2025-26.”
TYCPB’s Olivia Cockburn is the youngest lead drummer at the Championships: “Our lead drummer Olivia is eleven and we are thrilled to have her with us. She started playing with us last year when she was in P6. This year she is in P7 and became the lead tip.”
When asked about the age of TYCPB’s participants at the five participating schools: “We teach from P5 to S6. It was wonderful to see Olivia join the band last year, she was confident and able to join the established group. They have friendships ranging across the year groups and between the schools. This helps the kids build confidence and means the transition to high school is so much easier.”
Conner Pratt, is the Piping instructor and Pipe Major of the band, spoke about where he got the idea for the Pirates of Caribbean theme for the Freestyle competition: “The inspiration came from when I did this in high school myself, and I thought let’s bring something new to the table and get the kids involved and the PE department with their dance team. We wanted to make sure the kids can have fun and at the end of the day that’s what this is all about. Enjoying and learning, whilst making it accessible and fun so we can gain more recruits as the program develops.”
“So Olivia was recruited last year, we tried her out in February and we promoted her this year. She’s done a phenomenal amount of work, which is all down to her practice and her dedication to lead through the drum corps.
“In the high school we’ve got around 40 languages spoken and it’s just great to bring everything together. In the future, we want try to bring something different to the table with freestyle and try to go into the culture of the high school with the different languages.
“I’m looking forward to leading the band into their tenth anniversary and next year we will put on a big showcase concert right from the beginners to the seniors for everyone to enjoy.
“We started a development band last November and that was getting the young ones in P5/6/7 and introducing them to the senior bands to inspire the younger ones to come on. The kids are really enjoying it by getting them working with the older kids and seeing what they do. Today we had a P7 piper break into a senior band for her first contest, she wasn’t even learning pipes this time last year. It’s phenomenal to see their dedication.”
Olivia Cockburn, 11, added: “It’s really fun being lead drummer and I got the opportunity to because I really wanted it. I’ve gotten a lot better so I am able to be lead drummer. It’s a lot of pressure because all eyes are on you, but it’s also really good because you can help the band get better, so it’s a big role.”
“I joined the band last year in February”
“It’s my first freestyle, and it’s been a really good experience seeing all the different pipe bands from other schools”
“I’ve built a lot of friendships with everybody in the band and seeing all the other people play inspires me even more. I want to be just as good as them.”
