Vale of Atholl appoints Crawford Allan to L-D role

Crawford Allan is the new Leading-Drummer of the Grade 1 Robert Wiseman Dairies-Vale of Atholl Pipe Band of Pitlochry, Scotland. Allan succeeds Paul Turner, who resigned as Vale L-D in September 2010.

Crawford Allan had served as Drum-Sergeant in the band for the past five years and had been running the band’s drum corps for the last few months.

“I am honoured to have been offered the post of Leading-Drummer,” Allan said. “My initial reaction two months ago was that my work . . . would not allow me to take this job on. However, upon reflection and with the full backing of the drum corps, I am delighted and excited by the prospect of helping [Pipe-Major Adrian Cramb] to take the Vale of Atholl forward. I have played under James King, Ian Tobin and Paul Turner and relish the prospect of putting into practice what I have learned from these inspirational drummers.”

Vale of Atholl is one of Scotland’s steadiest bands in Grade 1, consistently vying for and occasionally winning championships since the 1980s. The band developed one of the first and most successful pipe band teaching systems, and its Novice band has kept a steady stream of players coming to the Grade 1 band.

Crawford Allan is a practicing lawyer in Perth, where he is from, and has played with Vale of Atholl since 1994. Between them Cramb and Allan have almost 50 years of experience in the band.