Former Red Hot Chilli Piper gives free online chanter lessons

FORMER Red Hot Chilli Piper Craig Muirhead is taking to YouTube to deliver chanter lessons to pipers in lockdown. Muirhead said: “The piping community is struggling right now and has been since the first lockdown last year. “There is no cost for the lessons, we just want to share our passion for piping with anyone…

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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…

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MacCrimmon pipes up for a fun children’s book

Young MacCrimmon and the Silver Chanter is a comical children’s story tells the story of a piping school and the struggle of a young pupil, Donald MacCrimmon, to master the instrument. When a Fairy Queen steps into help, she does so with a warning, presenting Donald with a life changing dilemma. Based on the tales…

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Argyllshire Gathering prepares for the games

Some of the best bagpipers, strongest men, highest jumpers and top dancers in the world will take part in the Argyllshire Gathering’s Oban Games tomorrow (Thursday). The 148th staging of the event, being held in Mossfield Park, will kick-off with the March of the Stewards, led by a mass band of competing pipers, from Station…

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Fans asked to submit favourite piping memories

Piping Live! Glasgow International Piping Festival are asking fans from across the globe to submit their fondest piping memories, giving them the chance to become part of the festival’s history. As part of its ‘Sounds of a Lifetime’ campaign, organisers have decided to print the names and stories of those whose lives have been moved…

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Jodhpur Jeans are a must-have for your summer wardrobe

In my experience, finding a good pair of jeans can be as tricky as asking a colleague to make you the ‘perfect’ cup of tea. (Very strong Scottish Blend, piping hot with lots of milk, if you’re wondering). With all our different tastes, shapes and styles, it has always seemed to me that clothes are…

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Travel essentials that you can’t go without

Finding great clothes to travel with is no mean feat – I’ve been on the road full-time as a travel writer for 35 years and struggled to find good kit for decades. Interestingly I find men’s travel clothes easier to source than women’s. One brand worth sussing out is Bluemint. Founded by Turkish-born Dogu in…

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Piping Live! reels in £1.9 million for the economy

It’s been piping hot in Scotland this year – and not just in terms of the weather. Figures for Piping Live!, the Glasgow International Piping Festival, reveal the event generated a tremendous boost for the local economy – to the tune of over £1.9 million. An economic impact report found that Piping Live!, which ran…

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Celebration of Scots music set for The Hydro

A massive celebration of Scotland and its music is coming to Glasgow next year. Music Show Scotland who are bringing their epic production of Scottish music to Scotland for the first time at The SSE Hydro on April 27. It is one of the largest Scottish music productions in the world, and regularly play to…

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Entries wanted for schools pipe band championships

A schools piping competition which is already the biggest in the world is set to grow even more. Organisers of next year’s Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships say they expect over 150 schools from across Scotland to be represented. Event organiser Patrick Gascoigne said the predicted boost is based on the number of school pupils…

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