It’s a date: Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting set schedules
The two most important non-invitational events of the solo piping calendar for the world’s top pipers, the Argyllshire Gathering at Oban, Scotland, and the Northern Meeting at Aviemore or Inverness, Scotland, will be held once again only a week apart, according to organizers of both events.
Piping Convenor Jamie Fraser of the Argyllshire Gathering says that his competition will be on Wednesday, August 27th, and Thursday, August 28th, and the Northern Meeting, according to organizer Alison Harbison, is confirmed for Thursday, September 4th, and Friday, September 5th.
The location of the Northern Meeting, Harbison says, has not yet been decided. It will be either in Aviemore, where the event has been held since 2005, or return to Inverness, where it had taken place since its inception in 1788.
The Northern Meeting piping competitions moved to Aviemore due to extensive renovations to the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness that were finally completed in September of this year.
For many years the two events were held two weeks apart, making attending both contests extra difficult for non-UK pipers. In 2006, the two gatherings were brought to only a week apart for the first time in recent memory.
“What a relief it is to have them only a week apart once again,” said one prominent Canadian piper who asked not to be identified. “It will save me about $2,000. Getting to both events when they are so far apart is really hard so this is excellent news.”
The Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting’s marquee competitions are the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal events, as well as each contest’s former winners MSRs and Senior Piobaireachd competitions.
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By way of a local update…..Eden Court reopens on 3rd November. Haven’t been in yet but a friendly member of staff has told me it’s been worth the wait. Open day on the 11th Nov I believe.
Well it seems the piping gods are trying to make things harder once again for overseas visitors. If you want to take in the Worlds and Oban and Inverness/Aviemore, you are looking at over a month in country. Last year was a big improvement moving Aviemore a week earlier, now they’ve stretched it out again. On another note, what the heck are people thinking putting the World Drumming Solos and the Glenfiddich on the same day!?!? Ridiculous.
Sam, there’s still the same length of time between the Worlds and Oban as every other year – a week and a half.
Has the World Pipe Band Champ date been confirmed for next year yet? I didn’t think it had, 9th or 16th Aug?
WPBC is always 2 weeks before Cowal which is always the last weekend of August. This puts WPBC on the 16th.