RSPBA secures July 12th for UK Championships in Edinburgh

The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association has scheduled July 12th for the 2025 United Kingdom Pipe Band Championships in Ingliston and the west side of the Edinburgh area in “collaboration” with the Royal Highland Centre.

For the first time since 2014, the competition will not be held in Northern Ireland. The UK Championships replaced the Cowal Championships on the RSPBA’s rota of five major competitions the RSPBA is mandated to hold annually.

The expansive Ingliston grounds are well known for holding the annual Royal Highland Show in June for over 150 years. The agricultural event attracts nearly 200,000 visitors, as the premier fixture in Scotland’s farming calendar, reportedly generating over £200-million in business.

The 2025 UK Championships’ date coincides with “The Twelfth,” a traditional Ulster celebration in Northern Ireland since the late 18th century. It marks the 1690 victory of Protestant King William of Orange over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne. Pipe bands based in Northern Ireland often participate in parades, and the conflicting date presents a quandary for at least some of the 42 Northern Ireland-based bands registered with the RSPBA.

“We look forward to welcoming bands and audiences from near and far.” – RSPBA Chief Executive Colin Mulhern

“We are delighted to partner with the Royal Highland Centre to host the 2025 UK Pipe Band Championships,” RSPBA Chief Executive Colin Mulhern, said in a statement. “This event is a celebration of the dedication and artistry of pipers and drummers, and we look forward to welcoming bands and audiences from near and far.”

The date also coincides with the school holiday period for many in the UK, when families like to schedule time away. The RSPBA’s Facebook page showed many comments from frustrated pipers and drummers.

“Many Northern Ireland bands normally earn parade money on the 12th,” said an RSPBA insider who spoke on condition their name not be included. “I guess many will not attend the major, given the annual profile and local support for the 12th. Traditionally much of Scotland go on holiday in July as well. Attending bands might be down a few members who are already booked up for holidays.”

Due to travel expenses for Scottish and English bands, entries for the UK Championships, when held in Northern Ireland, were relatively fewer than for majors held in Scotland. Conversely, championships held in northern Scotland were generally attended by relatively fewer Northern Ireland- and Irleand-based bands for the same reason.

A major pipe band championship has not been held in Edinburgh for nearly 50 years. Before the World Championships became static in Glasgow in 1981 (apart from being held in Hamilton, Scotland, in 1985 due to safety issues with its Bellahouston Park Glasgow venue), the event had been staged more than once at Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Stadium. Princes Street Gardens at the foot of Edinburgh Castle in the city centre was the location for many years of a popular minor contest.

The 2025 UK Championships in Edinburgh are believed to be a one-year deal.

The 2024 UK Championships were held in Bangor, Northern Ireland, after the RSPBA’s Northern Ireland branch stepped in to play a major role in organizing the event, which had previously been held in Lurgan and Stormont, near Belfast.

St. Laurence O’Toole of Dublin won the 2024 UK Championships.

At publication time, Mulhern had not responded to a request for additional comment on the UK Championships.