Victorious pipe band takes top British title
STUART Liddell led his Inveraray and District Pipe Band to victory last weekend in the opening major competition of the 2016 competition season.
The band won its first- ever Grade 1 British title on Saturday.
Field Marshal Montgomery took the runners-up spot and St Laurence O’Toole (Eire) came third, with Scottish Power Pipe Band in fourth.
Almost 4,000 pipers, drummers and drum majors from 147 bands made the trip to Paisley for the championships.
The Grade 1 drumming title also went to Inveraray and District, under leading drummer Steven McWhirter.
Inveraray and District Pipe Band manager Jim McMillan said: ‘ We were very happy with the performance at the British Championships, and hopefully this good start can be maintained for the rest of the season.’
Mid Argyll Pipe Band, competing in Grade 4B, reached the final after a qualifying round. In the final, the band finished sixth of 12 bands – with one of the piping judges placing it first.
In the Novice B grade, Kintyre Schools came second to Lochgelly High School, with Oban High in ninth of the 14 competing bands.
Oban High School’s Novice A band was placed seventh, with Dunoon Grammar School tenth in the same competition.
In the Grade 3A competition, Kintyre Schools came a creditable sixth.
Argyll had Oban and Isle of Islay competing in the Grade 2 contest. The islanders came 14th of 18 bands, while Oban was placed seventh in the second-tier category.