Tag: Bob Nicol

Andrew Pitkeathly: a great piper and a great person

Andrew Pitkeathly: a great piper and a great person

By MARK MacKENZIE Graham Adams’ recent article on Bagpipe.news brought back to me my own memories of Andrew Pitkeathly. As Graham mentioned in his piece, I stayed in Scotland for 12 months from November 1989 to November 1990 and received tuition from Andrew during that time. Graham was my first […]

The history of the Argyllshire Gathering, part 15

The history of the Argyllshire Gathering, part 15

1928-1930 By Jeannie Campbell MBE The 1928 Gathering took place over September 12 and 13 amid good weather. There was a clash of dates with Aboyne and Braemar but this did not affect the attendance, which was a record attendance with over 12,000 spectators. Among them was the Duke of […]

Jimmy McIntosh, an appreciation

Jimmy McIntosh, an appreciation

Jimmy McIntosh, who has just died, will be remembered as a major authority on piobaireachd. Yet, as many will know, Jimmy was quite late coming to the art. He only started to compete seriously when he was in his 40s. He was deeply appreciative of Robert Bell Nicol and Robert […]

Jimmy McIntosh, 1925-2021

Jimmy McIntosh, 1925-2021

James Haddow McIntosh, a true piping legend, died suddently this morning at home in South Carolina, USA, aged 95. Born in Broughty Ferry, near Dundee, one of four siblings. Jimmy’s father had arranged for Jimmy to receive his early piping tuition from Pipe Major Tom Sutherland, Royal Scots Fusiliers. Jimmy […]

An artists impression of Findlater's winning of the Victoria Cross at the Heights of Dargai.

Stories of the Tunes: Cock of the North

Last week we kicked off an occasional series looking at the stories behind some of our well known tunes. The tune we looked at was Pibroch of Donald Dubh. Today we look at Cock of The North. In the late 1890s, when news came of Piper Findlater’s exploits at Dargai […]

Robert Nicol, left, and Robert Reid.

We should not overstate the differences in our playing styles

Differences in playing styles is the subject of this opinion piece taken from the December 2004 Piping Times. By Duncan Watson A number of years ago while discussing the various aspects of The Unjust Incarceration with the late Donald Morrison, he related what I found to be an interesting story. […]

Jimmy McIntosh: my mission

Jimmy McIntosh: my mission

• From the February 2014 Piping Times Unsurpassed as a tutor, renowned on both sides of the Atlantic, let’s celebrate 70 years of piping and teaching in the company of Jimmy McIntosh What age are you now and where do you live?I am 88 years of age. I was born […]

Bob Nicol and Jimmy.

Jimmy McIntosh: part two.

From the March 2014 Piping Times. In Part 2 of his interview with the Piping Times, Jimmy McIntosh discusses piobaireachd playing, his favourite tunes and how he’d like to be remembered man What do you think of the standard of piobaireachd playing today? I have been isolated from Scottish piping […]

Grumbles, gratitude and a rapid reprint

Grumbles, gratitude and a rapid reprint

• From the February 2001 Piping Times. The conclusion of the talk on the history of the Kilberry Book of Ceol Mor, given at the Piobaireachd Society conference last year [2000]. By James Campbell Then there were two matters raised by Rothiemurchus which I suspect stemmed from conversation with John […]