In the eight years since I moved to Scotland from Pittsburgh, many of the spoils of life in this new place have long since gone from novel to normal. No longer must I wait until a highland games to purchase piping goods in person; I can pop into a wide […]
Jack Lee took home the overall prize at the 2021 Glenfiddich Piping Championship, held yesterday in front of a live audience in the Ballroom of Blair Castle in Perthshire, Scotland. Jack’s 2nd place in the Piobaireachd and 3rd place in the MSR secure him the overall title. Competitors are asked […]
By MacGregor Kennedy If they should enquire of you, “Why do you love old Scotland so?” it will be apparent that they have never encountered the bright prospect of making for the Vale of Atholl on a brilliant autumn day such as we had on our way to the 14th […]
The Pipers and Pipe Band Society of Ontario has announced that the George Sherriff Memorial Amateur Invitational Solo Piping Competition will be held in November. It will be held online. The contest did not take place in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be the 25th year of […]
This year’s Glenfiddich returns to Blair Castle on October 30. The prestigious 48th annual solo piping event will welcome a full live audience to the Perthshire venue’s Victorian ballroom whilst also being livestreamed. Callum Beaumont, as the overall winner of the 2021 Masters Competition, a qualifying event, receives an invite. […]
Well, readers. What’s up? “It’s an adverb!” I’m aware of that, thank you. What I mean is, how is the COVID-19 situation in your part of the world? From what I gather, the picture globally remains quite inconsistent yet. In some places, such as Australia, where we in Scotland had […]
It’s been a hell of a year for new music. This year, plenty of performers have released new records, new collections and performances on live streams and YouTube recitals. Just in time for Christmas, here comes a collection of tunes titled simply, Pipe Tunes. John Dew, one of our most […]
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 […]
The 10 invitees to compete at the 2020 Glenfiddich Solo Piping Championships have been confirmed. The pipers who will take to the stage – and, in brackets, the number of times they have won the overall title – are: • Finlay Johnston (2)• Callum Beaumont • Jack Lee (2)• Roddy […]
By MacGregor Kennedy. A mile north of Dufftown where Fiddich meets Dullan is Balvenie. On the west side stands Balvenie Castle on an eminence, readily seen from the A941. It was in times past called the ‘Castle of Mortlach’ and was the centre of the locality long before Dufftown was […]
