By Pete Grant, Piping Convenor
The quality of the adjudicating team at Nethybridge has always been a draw for competitors in the Solo Piping competitions, because of its depth of personal experience as competitive solo pipers, judges, and tutors. On Saturday, August 9, 2025, Duncan Watson and Jack Taylor were our adjudicators in the Senior competition, and Lewis Barclay in the Junior, and our competitors were again treated to rigorous assessment with feedback delivered in a manner that could only have enhanced our reputation as ‘the Friendly Games’
There was a total of seven entrants to the Senior competition, including visitors from Germany and USA in addition to home-grown talent, and we were treated to a diet of top-notch piping. We welcomed as newcomers Susy Klinger from Neustadt, Germany, Teddy Krogh from Alaska, USA, and Evan Duncan from Virginia, USA. The majority of competitors however were returning to the games, with Anna Kummerlöw having displayed her talent at Nethybridge since 2011, and Kyle Cameron and Ruairidh Davidson having first competed here as Juniors in 2018. The most satisfying feature of today’s competition for followers of the Abernethy Games was the outstanding performance of Kyle Cameron. Having supported the Games from his first steps in competition he emerged today as the well-deserved winner of the Gordon Cup for the most points in Open Piping.
Seven youngsters entertained us in the Junior Open competition, and it was a delight to start with three real enthusiasts playing the chanter, siblings Amber and James Houston McMillan from Oldmeldrum, and Finlay Mcluskie from Keith. Rory Menzies from Aberdeen gave his customary strong performance, and Mirren Silver and Fergus Fraser took time out from their duties with the City of Inverness (Youth) band to join the solo competition. Although we had no local junior pipers this time round, Lewis Brown from Edinburgh, visiting his grandparents in Nethybridge, not only provided the community link but also lifted the David Grant Blyth Cup for the most promising piper under 17 years of age.
We had seven pipe bands attending the Games, with six joining the competition for the PB Challenge Shield: Aberlour Community & District, Banff Castle, City of Inverness (Youth), Dufftown & District, Forres & District, Portsoy and Strathisla. Adjudication duties were performed by Andrew MacLennan, and the results were:
- City of Inverness (Youth) Pipe Band
- Aberlour Community & District Pipe Band
- Strathisla Pipe Band.
Of note was the City of Inverness (Youth) band’s achievement in winning this trophy for their first time, and the fact that the trophy has never before been won by a youth band.
Although Dufftown & District Pipe Band did not compete for the PB Challenge Shield, they maintained their year on year winning streak in the Tug of War competition.
The solo piping results were:
Overall Senior Open Piping winning The Gordon Cup
- Kyle Cameron, Rosemarkie.
Pibroch for the Lord Strathspey Cup
- Kyle Cameron, Rosemarkie
- Gordon Barclay, Inverness
- Teddy Krogh, USA
- Anna Kummerlow, Germany
- Susanne Klinger, Germany.
March
- Anna Kummerlow, Germany
- Kyle Cameron, Rosemarkie
- Teddy Krogh, USA
- Gordon Barclay, Inverness
Strathspey & Reel for the Banks Brothers Centenary Trophy
- Anna Kummerlow, Germany
- Kyle Cameron, Rosemarkie
- Teddy Krogh, USA
- Gordon Barclay, Inverness.
Jig for the Ibbertson Memorial Cup
- Kyle Cameron, Rosemarkie
- Teddy Krogh, USA
- Anna Kummerlow, Germany
- Ruairidh Davidson, Inverness
Most promising piper 17 years & under winning the David Grant Blyth Cup
- Lewis Brown, Edinburgh.
Chanter, March any choice, 12yrs and under for Craiglynne Centenary Cup:
- Amber Houston McMillan, Oldmeldrum;
- Finlay McCluskie, Keith;
- James Houston McMillan, Oldmeldrum.
March 17 years & under for the Ewen MacDonald Memorial Trophy
- Rory Menzies, Aberdeen
- Mirren Silver, Inverness
- Fergus Fraser, Inverness
- Lewis Brown, Edinburgh
Strathspey & Reel for the George Centenary Trophy
- Mirren Silver, Inverness
- Rory Menzies, Aberdeen
- Lewis Brown, Edinburgh
Jig 17 years & under
- Rory Menzies, Aberdeen
- Mirren Silver, Inverness
- Lewis Brown, Edinburgh