by Stuart Letford, Piping Convenor
The first Highland Games in this part of Scotland were held in 1823 in Dunkeld (basically, over the bridge from Birnam). Due to the death of the 6th Duke of Atholl, the 1864 event was cancelled but the inaugural Birnam Highland Games were held that same year. Birnam Games proved very successful and remained an annual event, with the Dunkeld games ending in 1872. It would seem odd to hold two games within 500 yards of each other albeit on different dates.
An entry in the records from the late 1880s states: “The highlight of Games Day was the procession to the Games Field. The Committee and Competitors were required to assemble at the Station Rooms at 12.45am where they would meet the Pipe Band and March to the field. At this time, the Games were held on Birnam House Park (now known as the Jubilee Park).”
A pipe band has played at the games since the early days but the records don’t appear to include their names from the early days. It’s listed simply as “the pipe band”. Over the years, however, pipes and drums from the Atholl Highlanders, the Scottish Horse, The Black Watch, and the Vale of Atholl have all played here. In 1981, the Lord Selkirk Pipe Band from Canada played. In recent decades, the pipe band from nearby Blairgowrie & Rattray – a non-competing band – has played at Birnam.
The growth in highland games stems from the expansion of the railway network. The line north form Perth reached Birnam in 1856, bringing an increase in visitors and competitors.
Solo piping has been a major feature since the earliest years, and Birnam has always attracted the very best of the day. This photo appeared on Bagpipe.news recently. It shows the leading players of the day at Birnam in 1899. The more knowledgeable of you will have picked out: Back – Cpl. Piper Willie Ross (Scots Guards), John MacDougall Gillies (Glasgow), David C. Mather (Lochcarron), Jock Stewart (Pitlochry), J. Wilkie (Dunkeld), P/M Alick Mathieson (Royal Scots), Gavin MacDougall (Aberfeldy). Front – Angus MacRae (Callander), John MacColl (Oban), John Cameron (Inverness), James A. Center (Edinburgh), P/M George Taylor (Royal Scots) and George S. McLennan.
An interesting rule comes from 1889 stating: “Competing Pipers must lodge with the Judges the names of three tunes in Gaelic and English”.
The minutes of 1925 record that the piping judges were to be comprised of one Pipe Major, one amateur piper and a “Capt. Lyle”. I’ve no idea who Capt. Lyle was but it was proposed to approach Seton Gordon to be the amateur judge. He later became famous as a writer and piper, and was also a good friend of the Macphersons of Glentruim, an hour or so to the north. (Seton was present at the unveiling of Calum Piobair’s cairn near Laggan). The minutes do not record if Seton accepted the request to judge at Birnam that year.
For decades now, some outstanding performances have been heard at Birnam Games from many of our leading players. The list of pipers in the prizes always includes a healthy number of overseas players, too.
*Birnam Highland Games is always on the last Saturday in August, which this year is August 30th. Entry is on the day but registrations are also being taken now by emailing me at stuartletford@hotmail.com
Birnam has always attracted quality piping from overseas. L-R: Ben McClamrock, Derek Midgley, Kevin McLean, Bobby Durning, Andrew Donlon and Dan Leyden.
Blairgowrie & Rattray Pipe Band leads the parade at the 2024 Birnam Games.