Special bagpipe tune composed

A bagpipe tune composed to mark a special milestone for the governing body of Scotland’s Highland games has been given its first airing, ahead of the fast-approaching start of the new season.

This year marks 70 years since the formation of the Scottish Highland Games Association and having begun the year with a royal seal of approval, the body has now been presented with a signature march to mark the occasion.

The SHGA, The First Seventy was composed by Corporal Ben Duncan of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, an instructor at the army school of piping in Edinburgh. Cpl Duncan gave the first rendition of the tune to members at the body’s halfyearly meeting in Perth, with the SHGA’s focus now firmly fixed on a gatherings calendar due to get under way at Gordon Castle on May 21 and run all the way to September 16, with the final games of 2017 at Invercharron.

The governing body represents more than 60 Highland games in Scotland, with a string of associate members overseas.

Chairman Charlie Murray said: “The association was delighted to announce at the beginning of the year that the Duke of Rothesay had agreed to become our patron.

“This tune adds another exciting element to the anniversary and will hopefully help us in our ongoing efforts to get more people interested in Highland games.”