Angus piper is blown away to bag Michelle Obama booking

Craig to play welcome music for former First Lady at conference

Angus piper Craig Weir will be adding Michelle Obama to his list of VIPs when he performs a variety of traditional Scottish songs for her.

Mr Weir, 25, will play for the former First Lady at an event organised by The Hunter Foundation, a charity that aims to help people in poverty.

The Carnoustie piper first played for a global name in 2012 when he wrote a tune to welcome the Dalai Lama to Dundee.

Since then he has performed before many big names, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Andy Murray and Billy Connolly.

Ms Obama is today taking part in a dinner at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre organised by Sir Tom Hunter’s charity.

Mr Weir has been invited by the charity to welcome Ms Obama to the event. He will be playing a variety of traditional music for her.

Former US President Barack Obama was the guest speaker at a Hunter Foundation event last year.

Mr Weir said: “I’m greatly honoured to have been asked to play at this event, as I admire the work Michelle Obama has done for charity over the years. It’s also a privilege to be asked to play for The Hunter Foundation, which does great work in Scotland. I’m very proud to have been involved in this event. “As far as I am aware, Barack Obama will not be at the event but they are both such inspirational figures and are loved by many people throughout the world.”

The Carnoustie man has already toured the world, playing shows in the USA, Switzerland, France, Belgium and Germany. He has also performed in front of millions of people when he featured on ITV2’s coverage of the Mobo music awards.

At the age of eight, his uncle Jack handed him a set of pipes, urging him to have a go. He’s “never looked back”.

At home, Craig is is the frontman of four-piece Celtic rock band Gleadhraich

It’s also a privilege to be asked to play for The Hunter Foundation, which does great work in Scotland

and also another band, Craig Weir and the Cabalistic Cavalry. The list of their celebrity fans includes Dougie Maclean and Gordon Strachan. The band have a homecoming gig this weekend as one of the headline acts in the Carnoostival festival.

Mr Weir added: “To be able to travel and play in big cities like New York is great, but it’s really special to us to be able to play in front of a home crowd. We haven’t played in Carnoustie in about six years so we’re really looking forward to playing for some familiar faces.”

After that, he is jetting off for a two-week tour in Canada with Mariner’s Curse, a Canadian group he has collaborated with in the past.

Away from the stage, Craig is a teacher at Our Lady’s Primary School in Dundee.

Craig at a New York parade, far right, and, clockwise from top, left, with Alan Cumming, Billy Connolly, US TV presenter Jimmy Fallon and Scots DJ Calvin Harris.

Picture: PA. “Inspirational”: Michelle Obama.