Pipe band crowned Euro champs

OBAN High School Pipe Band were the Novice Juvenile B winners at this year’s European Championships.

The band, who are competing in only their second season together, joined 112 other bands at the event in Forres, Moray.

Tens of thousands of spectators made the journey to watch the championships.

Oban High School A Band finished fifth in their category.

Nan Johnstone, a teacher at Oban High School, said: ‘It is the first time the band has won it. They are a fairly new band and it is only their second season of competing, so it is really good. It is a lot of hard work and practice to get to that level.’

Oban High School Pipe Band will continue its hard work into the summer holidays, with solo competitions taking place throughout the summer. The band will be back in action at the Mull Highland Games on July 20.

‘It is not a quiet time even though it is the school holidays,’ Mrs Johnstone added. ‘There is a lot of commitment from all of them.’

The band will be rehearsing at Oban Station Square every Wednesday night, weather permitting, and on the first Thursday of the month they will be practising up at McCaig’s Tower, supporting the Oban and Lorn Lions Club.