Guards Club Knockout promoter, Jimmy Banks, has let us know that last year’s KO champion and recent Gold Medal winner, Brodie Watson-Massey, has withdrawn from this season Knock Out competition due to his busy solo piping schedule. Chris McCarten joins the competition to compete in round 4 against Tommy Turner on February 22, 2026.
Each matchup takes place on a Sunday, starting at 4pm, at the Scots Guards Club, Haymarket, in Edinburgh.
Round 1: Arran Green v Liam Nicolson – October 26th, 2025
Round 2: Ross Miller v Douglas Baird – November 30th, 2025
Round 3: Scott McAskill v Ross Conner – January 25th, 2026
Round 4: Chris McCarten v Tommy Turner – February 22nd, 2026
The pipers are required to perform a set lasting 30 minutes. The set needs to contain one March, Strathspey and Reel and the ground of a piobaireachd. An audience vote decides the winner of each heat – although the final will include judges.
The draw for the semi-finals will be held after after the completion of round four. The heats take place at the Scots Guards Club in Clifton Terrace, Haymarket (opposite the railway station) in Edinburgh. Entry is £6 and half-time pies are available.
The Knockout has been held for over a decade now and has become a feature of the piping scene in Scotland’s capital city.
The Scots Guards Club was formerly a military club but membership has for many years now been open to all.