James King Leaves Vale of Atholl

James King, one of history’s greatest pipe band drummers, has left the McNaughton’s Vale of Atholl Pipe Band, announcing his retirement from competition.

Ian Tobin, a drummer with the band, takes over as Leading Drummer.

King had been with the Vale since the early 1990s, and is most famous for leading the Dysart & Dundonald drum section in that band’s heyday in the 1970s, including when it won the World Pipe Band Championship in 1976 and ’77.

King had also played with the Polkemmet Colliery Pipe Band in the 1980s as flank drummer to Jim Kilpatrick, and spent a year in Kansas City in the late 1980s. He is also a former World Solo Drumming Champion.

It is thought that James King will now turn his attention to judging and teaching. Vale of Atholl also changed Pipe-Majors after the 2000 season, with Andrew Renwick taking over from Ian Duncan after the latter spent 26 years as leader of the band.

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