Jeannie Campbell’s* article from Wednesday – The oldest civilian pipe band – has caused something of a stir with some readers. Davy Robinson from Falkirk writes: “I enjoyed reading the article but surely your headline should’ve read, ‘The earliest civilian pipe band’? After all, the Breadalbane band and the Aberfeldy […]
For the past few years one of the popular elements to the annual Piping Live! festival has been the Trade Fair. Clearly, due to the coronavirus pandemic it could not be held this year. However, to coincide with next weekend’s 47th annual Glenfiddich Solo Piping Championships – which is being […]
One of the earliest piping competitions took place in Edinburgh in 1784 and was organised by the Highland Society of London. It had actually been intended to hold the contest at Falkirk but a decision was made at the last minute to move it to Edinburgh. The competition took place […]
As our photograph shows, it is a ‘full house’ inside Eden Court’s main theatre this week. The Inverness venue’s Empire Theatre has been transformed into a hub for Highland Council’s emergency response to the pandemic situation across the region. All the plush, blue velvet seats plus the stage itself – […]
A small number of civilian pipe bands claim to be the oldest – or, at least, among the oldest. Wallacestone, Inveraray, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch, are among the small list and all four date to the mid-1880s. We think the latter two are in abeyance these days but Wallacestone is still […]
A bagpipe is an investment. If you are lucky then you’ll get a return out of that investment either for yourself or for whomever gets the pipe after you. The mystique of the antique bagpipe is much like the sword ‘Excalibur’ in Thomas Mallory’s epic, Le Morte d’Arthur: the object […]
Media reports of a coronavirus vaccine being introduced shortly after Christmas have been dismissed by a leading Scottish respiratory doctor who is also a piper. Reports in at least two British newspapers at the weekend suggested the National Health Service’s staff will shortly undergo training to administer a vaccine before […]
With the pipe band world hoping that 2021 will see a return to pipe band competitions and championships, pipers whose pipes contain ivory and who plan to travel to the United Kingdom can apply now for a free Musical Instrument Certificate (MIC). For some time now pipers, and other musicians […]
With no pipe band competitions able to take place this year and next year looking questionable, the RSPBA has nevertheless contacted pipe band secretaries to ask for 2021 registration fees to be paid. In a letter emailed to band secretaries on October 12, the RSPBA said: “There is no doubt […]
‘MacTavish’ attended the 2018 Glenfiddich. It was his first time at the premier solo piping event and his account was published in the January 2019 Piping Times. With the 2020 Glenfiddich imminent, we reproduce his account here. MacTavish, who was the only amateur piper to be ‘taken on’ by Bob […]
