Aboyne Highland Games stages online piping contest

THREE of the piping competitions held by Aboyne Highland Games will shift online this summer.

The open competitions for the piobaireachd, march, and strathspey and reel categories will be held virtually on 1 August.

Two-thirds of the 32 competitors come from the UK, with the remainder from North America.

Recordings of their performances will be sent to the contest’s judges, who will review the videos the following week, before five finalists from each of the two heats are selected.

Those ten recordings will then be heard by different judges, with winners announced thereafter.

Grocer and delicatessen George Strachan, which has shops in Aboyne and Ballater, is sponsoring the contest.

Jack Taylor, piping convenor for Aboyne Highland Games, said: “The response we have had from pipers to take part in this competition has been excellent.

“Among those due to perform are a few who have won gold medals for solo piobaireachd piping at the Northern Meeting or Argyllshire Gathering, so we are anticipating a high standard of competition.”

Read more stories about piping on Scottish Field’s music pages.