The City of Edinburgh Pipe Band has announced that its annual Pipe Major’s Wheel of Fortune competition will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026. The event will be hosted by Danderhall Miners Club in Midlothian.
Eight top pipers have agreed to pit their wits against the Wheel of Fortune in a competition where creativity, musical expression – and fun – come the fore.
The musicians participating in the event are as follows:
- Sandy Cameron
- John Dew
- Angus MacPhee
- Cameron May
- Sarah Muir
- Craig Muirhead
- Dan Nevans
- Bradley Parker
MacPhee, Nevans and Parker are making their Wheel of Fortune debuts.
The competition has three elements:
- March, strathspey and reel (MSR)
- Wheel of Fortune medley
- Joke
While MSRs are a staple part of the solo piping diet, the Wheel of Fortune medley and joke competitions add fresh flavour for audience and competitors alike.
The Wheel of Fortune has 12 numbers, with each number corresponding to a type of tune:
- Allan MacDonald tune
- Animal, bird or fish tune
- Donald MacLeod tune
- Female name tune
- Gaelic or Irish slow air
- Gordon Duncan tune
- G.S. McLennan tune
- Hornpipe
- Own composition
- Polka
- Two jigs
- Two reels
Each musician must play five of the 12 tune categories. Four of the tune categories are determined by pipers spinning the Golden Chanter on arrival at the competition. The final category of tune is determined by a member of the audience spinning the Golden Chanter as competitors take the floor.
Each competitor has a Joker which they can play to deselect a category of tune. The Joker can be played at any time, but only once. When a category of tune is deselected, the Golden Chanter will be spun again to provide an alternative.
The tune categories selected can be played in any order, but they must be combined to form one continuous medley.
Pipers can add a maximum of three tunes of their choice to those selected by the Golden Chanter. These tunes can also be played in any order but must form part of the continuous medley.
Following the Wheel of Fortune medley, pipers conclude their performance by telling a joke. For some, this is the most challenging part of the event.
Sarah Muir won the Wheel of Fortune medley at the 2025 contest, with Ross Miller taking second place and Cameron Drummond third. Drummond won the MSR event, with Brian Lamond winning the prize for best joke.
Looking ahead to the event, band secretary Paul White said:
“We are delighted to welcome eight great musicians to our Pipe Major’s Wheel of Fortune competition. Cameron, Craig, John, Sandy and Sarah have kindly agreed to take the floor again, while Angus, Bradley and Dan will be spinning the Golden Chanter for the first time. We’re thrilled to have attracted such talented pipers to our event and we very much appreciate their support.
“This year marks the 20th anniversary of our competition. Our first contest was held in 2006, when Brian Lamond lifted The Hebrides Challenge Cup. Two decades later, our event is going from strength to strength.
We are looking forward to an afternoon of great company, great craic and great piping at Danderhall Miners Club.”
The City of Edinburgh band was formed in 1947 and was originally known as Woolmet and Danderhall. The band took its name from the Woolmet Colliery and the Midlothian village, where the band practices to this day.
Entry to the competition is £15.00 on the door for people aged 16 and over and £7.50 for people under 16. Doors open at 1115, while the competition starts at 1200.
Many of the top names in piping have pitted their wits against the Wheel of Fortune over the years. Former winners include:
- Chris Armstrong (2007)
- Cameron Drummond (2023)
- Ben Duncan (2017)
- Brian Lamond (2006 and 2015)
- Stuart Liddell (2008, 2009, 2013)
- Douglas Murray (2014, 2016)
- Craig Sutherland (2024)
- Gordon Walker (2011, 2012)
- The most recent winner of the Wheel of Fortune is Sarah Muir (2025).