Springbank eight lined up for Saturday

Argyllshire has probably produced more great solo pipers than anywhere on earth in the last 150 years, and eight of Scotland’s best will strut their musical stuff at the 2024 Springbank Invitational in Campbeltown on September 14th at the Argyll Arms Hotel.

• Callum Beaumont, St. Andrews, Scotland
• Alasdair Henderson, Edinburgh
• Finlay Johnston, Glasgow
• Stuart Liddell, Inveraray, Scotland
• Roddy MacLeod, Glasgow
• Willie McCallum, Bearsden
• Sarah Muir, Glasgow
• Innes Smith, Glasgow

Henderson, Liddell, McCallum, and Muir are each from Argyllshire, as is one of the judges, John Wilson, who will be joined on the bench by Ian Duncan and Murray Henderson.

The competition is organized by the Kintyre Piping Society and sponsored by the local Springbank Distillery, which makes one of the world’s best malt whiskies, but sourcing a bottle is tricky.

Stuart Liddell was the overall winner of the 2023 Springbank Invitational. The competition features Piobaireachd, MSR, Hornpipe & Jig and 6/8 March events, but only the Piobaireachd and MSR count towards the aggregate trophy. The MSR calls for contestants to perform two of each tune type as chosen by the judges from pipers’ submitted lists.

Stay tuned to pipes|drums for results from the 2024 Springbank as they become available.