Skye Highland Games 2024

•The colourful buildings at Portree harbour on the Isle of Skye. The venue for the Games is The Lump, which is a sloping promontory which rises above the old quay, jutting into Loch Portree and giving picturesque views of the area.

Contact Piping Convenor: Cameron MacFadyen, 17/18 Borve, Portree, Isle of Skye, IV51 9PE. cameron.macfadyen@btinternet.com

The entry form can be downloaded here

Competition No 1:  Dunvegan Medal.   Skye Gathering Hall, Portree. 8.30am

Competitors will submit four tunes from the list below to the Piping Convenor. The competitor will be asked to play one of these tunes by the judges.

Competition No 2:  Col: Jock Clasp.   St Columba’s Parish Church, Portree 7.30pm

This competition is confined to current and previous holders of the Dunvegan Medal.

Competitors will submit four tunes from those marked ** on the list below to the Piping Convenor. If the winner of this year’s Dunvegan Medal is known by 7pm, he/she will be invited to play in the Clasp. Competitors, therefore, are advised to prepare four of the specified tunes, which could then be offered, for both competitions.

List of MacCrimmon tunes:

Competition Nos. 3 & 4:   6/8 March, and Hornpipe & Jig.   St Columba’s Church, Portree 8.30am.

Each piper plays one 6/8 March of own choice followed by a Hornpipe and Jig of own choice.  There will be on opportunity for competitors to re-tune between the March, and Hornpipe & Jig.

Wednesday 9^th August 2023

Competition No. 5:  2/4 March (Kemble Star) 9.00am.

Heats – Each piper submits three Marches of own choice and is asked to play one of them once through.

Competition No. 6:  Strathspey & Reel (Peter MacFarquhar Star) runs in conjunction with Competition No. 5, the 2/4 March

Heats – Each piper submits three Strathspeys and three Reels of own choice and is asked to play one Strathspey & one Reel once through.

Pipers entering both competitions will play the 2/4 March first and, after an opportunity to re-tune, will play the Strathspey & Reel.

Heat 1 of Competitions 5 and 6 will take place in St Columba’s Church

Heat 2 will take place in the Skye Gathering Hall, Portree.

Finals – The top three performers from each heat (i.e. 6 competitors drawn from the two March heats and 6 competitors from the two S&R heats) will go forward to take part in the finals in St Columba’s Church starting at 1.30pm.  For the March Final, pipers will perform the unplayed two tunes from their original submission of three i.e. not the march played in the heats.  If a piper is in both finals he/she will be asked to play their two Marches, and then the Strathspeys and Reels rather than making separate visits to the platform.  There will be an opportunity to retune between the Marches and S&R.  As with the March final, in the S&R final competitors will play their two so-far-unplayed S&Rs (once through) in order of their own choosing.

Prizes:              1^st                     2^nd                    3^rd                    4^th                    5^th        6th

Comp 1.            £140                 £100                 £70                   £40                   £20       –

Comp 2.            £200                 £120                  £100                    –                     –          –

Comp 3.            £  60                 £  40                 £30                   £20                   £15        –

Comp 4.            £  60                 £  40                 £30                   £20                   £15       –

Comp 5.            £  70                 £  50                 £40                   £30                   £20       £10

Comp 6.            £  70                 £  50                 £40                   £30                   £20       £10

Special Prizes:

• The piper with the highest points in the Ceòl beag (light music) competitions will win the Dr Allan MacDonald Cup + £200
• The piper with the highest aggregate points in the Clasp and/or Dunvegan Medal + Ceòl Beag competitions will win the Highland Society of London award of £500. In the event of a tie points in the Clasp will count double.

Points for placings in the Ceòl Mòr competitions are as follows: 1^st – 10 points, 2^nd – 8, 3^rd – 6, 4^th – 4, 5^th – 2.

Note that the last two placings do not apply in the Clasp competition.

Points for placings in the Ceòl Beag competitions are as follows: 1^st – 6, 2^nd – 5, 3^rd – 4, 4^th – 3, 5^th – 2, 6th – 1.

In the event of a tie, weighting will be given to the competitor scoring highest in the Ceòl Mòr events.

Competition Rules:

• Any competitor who is unable to attend the competition after entry must notify the Convenor, at the latest on the day before the competition. Failure to do this without reason may result in refusal of entry in subsequent years.
• Competitors must appear in Highland Dress, and remain so attired until after the presentation of prizes. Jackets should be worn in the piobaireachd events.
• Competitors must be in attendance not later than the advertised reporting time, or other notified time, failing which they will only be allowed to play at the discretion of the stewards.
• The order of play will be adhered to as far as is possible, but the committee reserve the right to alter this if, in the opinion of the Piping Convenor, circumstances so require.
• Competitors, who are not known to the committee, or who do not hold a CPA grade, are required to submit evidence of success in other competitions, or a recommendation from a recognised tutor.

Failure to observe any of these rules, or the instructions of the stewards, may result in disqualification and/or refusal of entry in a subsequent year.

While every effort will be made to ensure that the competitions run as detailed above, the Piping Convenor reserves the right to make any changes necessitated by unforeseen circumstances.

• entries for the Dunvegan Medal and light music competitions will be accepted in the two months between April and the end of May. A list of successful applicants and a reserve list (if necessary) will be circulated to all entrants by mid-June
• entries for the Clasp Competition will be accepted up until the beginning of August
• entries by post or email will be accepted and an inclusive entry fee of £15 should accompany entries. Please send to the convenor at the address below
• if a legible e-mail address is g the entry will be acknowledged by e-mail, if no e-mail address is given, acknowledgement will not be sent out unless you have included a stamped addressed envelope
• please make all cheques payable to Skye Games Committee. Regrettably, no late entries will be accepted