The latest published coverage on this topic.
Entries open on 27 October for the Scottish Pipers’ Association’s annual Juvenile Solo Piping Competition in Glasgow on 5 December. Young pipers will compete in age categories for piobaireachd, light music and a four-part event.
Read the original ↗Entries for the Scottish Pipers’ Association juvenile competition go live at 19:00 on 27 October. The competition itself is set for 5 December at the National Piping Centre on Otago Street.
Read the original ↗Readers are being asked to predict the top five overall winners at the 2026 Glenfiddich on 31 October at Blair Castle, Blair Atholl, Scotland. The prize package is offered by R.G. Hardie & Co.
Read the original ↗The Piobaireachd Society’s long list of set tunes for the senior piobaireachd events at Oban and Inverness is being assessed as the five-year experiment nears its end next year. The arrangement was introduced in 2023 and had been popular with audiences.
Read the original ↗Jimmy Banks has released the Guards Club Knockout competitors, dates and head-to-heads for the 2026/27 season. Each piper will play a 30-minute set in the series.
Read the original ↗Six Australian competitors represented their bands and country at the 2026 World Solo Drumming Championships. The piece highlights their performances on the international stage.
Read the original ↗At Cookstown High School on 24 September, James Frazer of Field Marshal Montgomery won the senior piping title at the All-Ireland & JAC Solo Piping & Drumming Championships. William Glenholmes also featured in the senior titles, while John McElmurry and Alastair Donaghy were among the other named competitors.
Read the original ↗Kerr McQuillan of Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia won the 2026 World Solo Drumming Championship at Glasgow Caledonian University. He took the world’s top solo snare title in a field of 33 competitors.
Read the original ↗The 2026 World Solo Pipe Band Snare Drumming final dozen has been confirmed after the semi-final in Glasgow. The final list is headed by Richard Black, Blair Brown, Alex Buchanan and Derek Cooper, with 12 players set to contest the title.
Read the original ↗The notebook looks ahead to the World Solo Drumming in Glasgow and wishes the drummers well, while arguing that judges should weigh both musical and technical playing. It also points readers toward related piping items, including a Stuart Liddell recital.
Read the original ↗The World Solo Pipe Band Snare Drumming Championships returns to Glasgow Caledonian University on 17 October 2026, with 33 qualifiers in the semi-final heats. Defending champion Kerr McQuillan is among the competitors, alongside 2025 champion Alen Tully and multiple former winners.
Read the original ↗Thomas Fallon of Edinburgh won the 2026 Lochnell Championship at Lochnell Castle in Argyll after placing second in the Piobaireachd and third in the MSR. Eight pipers competed at the invitational event organised by the Argyllshire Gathering Trust.
Read the original ↗The new Piping Wire brings together piping news, competition coverage and event listings in one free service. It is aimed at keeping players and followers up to date across the piping world.
Read the original ↗Thomas Fallon was named overall champion at the Lochnell Intermediate Piping Competition, held on Saturday, 10 October 2026 and organised by the Argyllshire Gathering Trust.
Read the original ↗Liam Horne won the 2026 Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational Piping Championship in Rockville, Maryland. The contest also featured results for Angus MacPhee, Ben Duncan, Kyle Shead, Connor Sinclair, Ashley McMichael, Josh Dickson, Sandy Cameron and Alasdair Henderson.
Read the original ↗Thomas Fallon of Edinburgh won the 6th annual Lochnell Piping Championship on 10 October at Lochnell Castle. The invitation-only under-22 contest brought together young solo pipers, with Fallon representing Field Marshal Montgomery.
Read the original ↗Liam Horne of Wise, Virginia, won the 43rd Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational Piping Championship at St. Mark Presbyterian Church. He took first in both piobaireachd and the 6/8 March to finish on 20 points.
Read the original ↗Ashley McMichael of Antrim was named 2026 Northern Ireland Piper of the Year after winning the Piobaireachd and MMSSRR events at Ballymena.
Read the original ↗Ben Duncan won the Premier & A Grade March, Strathspey and Reel, while Angus MacPhee won the Premier & A Grade piobaireachd at Glasgow’s Royal National Mòd. Kyle Shead also lifted the Sheelah J trophy.
Read the original ↗Solo piping placings from the Piping Championships at the Royal National Mòd in Glasgow are listed, with a full set of named competitors across the events. The results include piobaireachd, March, Strathspey and Reel, and hornpipe and jig contests.
Read the original ↗Entries are open for the Caritas Banner Piobaireachd Competition for pipers aged 18 and under at George Watson’s College. Ben Duncan is hosting the event, which is being held there again.
Read the original ↗The Lochnell Intermediate Championship is set for Benderloch, where eight young professionals will play piobaireachd and MSR for the title. Douglas Baird, Kyle Cameron, Thomas Fallon, Malachi Johannsen, Chris McCartan, Liam Nicolson, Andrew Pattison and Magnus Stone are named as the competitors.
Read the original ↗P/M Ben Duncan says the Caritas Banner Piobaireachd Competition for pipers aged 18 and under will be held on 29 November at George Watson’s College in Edinburgh. The event is piobaireachd-only and includes three age-based categories, with entries due by the closing date noted in the announcement.
Read the original ↗The first Grant’s Championship, later known as the Glenfiddich Championship, was held at Blair Castle in October 1974. Jeannie Campbell notes that Liz Maxwell of William Grant was involved from the start.
Read the original ↗Finlay Johnston leads the Piobaireachd results from the Captain John MacLellan Memorial Competition at the Army School of Piping in Inchdrewer House, Edinburgh. The report notes the results are incomplete and may need correction.
Read the original ↗The National Piping Centre and William Grant Foundation are presenting the 53rd Glenfiddich Piping Championship at Blair Castle on 31 October 2026. The event starts from 10:30 a.m. and the published line-up includes ten solo pipers.
Read the original ↗Willie McCallum took the Premier overall title at the 13th Captain John A. MacLellan MBE Memorial Piping Competition at Inchdrewer House. Finlay Johnston won Premier Grade Piobaireachd and the Captain John MacLellan Gold Medal, while Sarah Muir won the Premier MSR and the Captain John MacLellan Piper Statue.
Read the original ↗Nineteen-year-old Nicholas Weston of Auckland has taken the New Zealand Young Piper of the Year title, winning the overall Under-21 prize against 12 other competitors.
Read the original ↗The 43rd Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational Contest will be held at St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Rockville, Maryland, in partnership with the Institute of Musical Traditions. The weekend begins with a judges’ recital on Friday evening, 9 October.
Read the original ↗The Northern Ireland Piper of the Year Solo Piping Competition returns to the Adair Arms Hotel in Ballymena on 10 October, with 10 pipers competing for the 2026 title. The event began in 1979 at the Tullymore House Hotel in Broughshane.
Read the original ↗The 10 contestants for the 2026 Glenfiddich Solo Piping Championships at Blair Castle on 31 October are now confirmed. Among the named entrants are Chris Armstrong, Callum Beaumont, Alan Bevan and Willie McCallum.
Read the original ↗The solo piping competitions at Mòd Ghlaschu 2026 are scheduled for 10 October, with junior events at City of Glasgow College and senior events elsewhere. The draw lists name a wide field of pipers across the day.
Read the original ↗The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association has elevated Royal Burgh of Annan and Ulster Scottish to Grade 1, taking the number of active top-grade bands to 19. Ulster Scottish, based in Philadelphia, joins St. Thomas Alumni of Houston among the American Grade 1 ranks.
Read the original ↗Andrew Hayes heads the MSR prize list from the Glengarry Cup in Ottawa on 26 September. Watch the five prizewinning performances in pipes|drums.
Read the original ↗Andrew Hayes of Nepean, Ontario, won the 2026 Glengarry Cup by taking the MSR and placing fourth in Piobaireachd. Colin MacLellan of Edinburgh won the Piobaireachd.
Read the original ↗A 50-year-old Piping Times editorial argues that competition sits at the centre of piping, while reflecting on why the scene is built that way. The piece is presented as a historical look back rather than current news.
Read the original ↗The British Columbia Pipers’ Association has announced its first two competitions of the 2026-27 season: the Fall Mini Gathering on 14 November 2026 and the Winter Mini Gathering on 6 February 2027. Entry deadlines are 26 October 2026 and 1 January 2027.
Read the original ↗The British Columbia Pipers’ Association has published its solo grading promotions and regradings for the 2026-27 season. It says the grading subcommittees reviewed results from BCPA-sanctioned solo and band competitions over the season.
Read the original ↗The 2026 Glengarry Cup for Professional/Open grade solo pipers is set for 26 September in Ottawa, with contestants coming from beyond Canada. The event underlines the competition’s reach across North America and farther afield.
Read the original ↗The writer looks back on an August trip to Scotland after travelling from Australia to play with Hawthorn Pipe Band at the World Pipe Band Championships. The account also mentions meeting Tim Gellaitry and taking in several piping-related visits.
Read the original ↗The National Mod has published its piping draws for Glasgow on 10 October, with senior events set for the Piping Centre from 9am. The updated lists include the P/A Piob draw and a large field of named competitors across the Mod piping competitions.
Read the original ↗The Pipers’ and Pipe Band Society of Ontario has named its 2026 Champion Supreme solo and band winners. The honours cover a wide spread of Ontario games, recitals and competitions.
Read the original ↗Brodie Watson-Massey took the overall prize at the 2026 Springbank Invitational Solo Piping Competition after winning the Piobaireachd. Chris Armstrong tied him in aggregate Piobaireachd + MSR points.
Read the original ↗The BBC piping programmes will spotlight the Northern Meeting over the next two weekends, with recordings from several prize events. The notice also points readers toward upcoming piping items including a London recital, SPA date and school job.
Read the original ↗The 2009 Argyllshire Gathering competition is reviewed with the main solo piping events from 26 and 27 August. The article continues the history series on the meeting.
Read the original ↗Newcastle’s Donard Park staged the last RSPBANI Branch outdoor competition of the season, including the Champion of Champions final. The day drew a strong crowd and favourable afternoon conditions.
Read the original ↗Bagpipe News looks back at the 2026 Masters through photographs of all 20 MSR competitors. Alasdair Henderson won the piobaireachd and Connor Sinclair the MSR at the National Piping Centre on 9 August.
Read the original ↗Piping Press reports results from Pitlochry on Sept. 12, noting nine call-offs in the piobaireachd. Douglas Murray won the piobaireachd with a rendition of Lord Lovat’s Lament. The report also says early rain and A9 roadworks may have affected turnout.
Read the original ↗Shawn Tobin of Nepean, Ontario won the pipes|drums Pick the Six prediction contest by correctly forecasting the leading six Grade 1 bands at the Worlds. The publisher announced a prize package for the winner.
Read the original ↗The RSPBA says the draw for the World Solo Snare Drumming and Tenor Drumming Championships has been published.
Read the original ↗Showing up to 50 recent stories.