Next up for top-tier solo pipers: the 2024 Northern Meeting

The Argyllshire Gathering at Oban is the precursor to the Northern Meeting at Inverness for the world’s top-tier competing pipers. The sister competitions have been echoing one another for well over a century and stand as the most important non-invitational solo piping events on earth.

The 2024 Northern Meeting will be held over two days starting Thursday, August 29th. Everything will be held indoors at the Eden Court Theatre complex, one of Scotland’s great venues for the performing arts.

The two Highland Society of London Gold Medals, the second of which after Oban is at Inverness, might not be considered the apex of a solo piper’s competitive career, but winning one of them immediately adds a piper’s name to the history books in indelible ink. After winning the Gold Medal at the Argyllshire Gathering, Cameron Drummond of Edinburgh goes for the rare “Double” – gaining both in the same year – which has occurred only 12 times in the 135 years when both events were held.

Of even higher stature are the events for previous winners: the Clasp for those who have won a Gold Medal and the Silver Star MSR for pipers who have won the A-Grade MSR. As with the Gold Medal, the winners of those contests get an invitation to the Glenfiddich Championships in October. In recent years, those who place second or even third in the top competitions might also get into the Glenfiddich due to pipers copping more than one automatic-Glenfiddich-entry event.

Of the more than 80 competitors in the adult events, four are women.

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

Here are the competitors (alphabetically by last name) and judges for the senior competitions at the 2024 Northern Meeting:

Saturday, August 29th

Highland Society of London Gold Medal

Judges: Ian Duncan, Alan Forbes, Murray Henderson

• Calum Brown, Peterculter, Scotland
• Gordon Bruce, Kilwinning, Scotland
• Sandy Cameron, Roybridge, Scotland
• Andrew Carlisle, Pittsburgh
• Andrew Donlon, Washington, DC
• Cameron Drummond
• Ben Duncan, Edinburgh
• Brendon Eade, Waikato, New Zealand
• Stuart Easton, Palmerston North, New Zealand
• Jamie Elder, Auchtermuchty, Scotland
• Jamie Forrester, Haddington, Scotland
• Steven Leask, Glasgow
• Alastair Lee, Surrey, British Columbia
• Angus J. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland
• Cameron MacDougall, Nigg, Scotland
• Ben McClamrock, Washington, DC
• Sean McKeown, Bowmanville, Ontario
• Derek Midgley, Tinton Falls, New Jersey
• Sarah Muir, Glasgow
• John Mulhearn, Carluke, Scotland
• Matt Pantaleoni, St. Louis
• Willie Rowe, Rata, New Zealand
• Craig Sutherland, Crieff, Scotland
• Darach Urquhart, Glasgow
• Calum Watson, Edinburgh

Silver Medal (25 entered)

Judges: Mike Cusack, Ronnie McShannon, Willie Morrison

• Fraser Allison, Balfron, Scotland
• Greig Canning, Kirkcaldy, Scotland
• Seumas Coyle, Glendale, California
• John Dew, Glasgow
• Jacob Dicker, Maxville, Ontario
• Bobby Durning, Carrollton, Texas
• Andrew Ferguson, Dollar, Scotland
• Mike Fitzhenry, Paisley, Scotland
• Edward Gaul, Dundee, Scotland
• Steven Gray, Lockerbie, Scotland
• Eireann Ianetta-Mackay, Burrelton, Scotland
• Luke Kennedy, Strathaven, Scotland
• Zephan Knickel, Surrey, British Columbia
• Anna Kummerlöw, Kladrum, Germany
• Dan Lyden, Timonium, Maryland
• Angus MacPhee, Inverness, Scotland
• Cameron May, Lesmahagow, Scotland
• John McDonald, Aberdeen, Scotland
• Ashley McMichael, Antrim, Northern Ireland
• James McPetrie, Aboyne, Scotland
• Ben Mulhearn, Troon, Scotland
• Bradley Parker, Glasgow
• Jonathon Simpson, Bo’ness, Scotland
• Brodie Watson-Massey, Edinburgh
• Callum Wynd, Dunblane, Scotland

Silver Star Former Winners MSR (20 entered)

Judges: Angus MacDonald, Niall Matheson, John Wilson

• Chris Armstrong, Glasgow
• Callum Beaumont, Dollar, Scotland
• Angus D. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland
• Cameron Drummond
• Ben Duncan, Edinburgh
• Brendon Eade
• Alex Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
• Bruce Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
• Alasdair Henderson, Edinburgh
• Finlay Johnston, Glasgow
• Jack Lee, Canada, Surrey, British Columbia
• Stuart Liddell, Inveraray, Scotland
• Ian K. MacDonald, Whitby, Ontario
• Roddy MacLeod, Glasgow
• Willie McCallum, Bearsden, Scotland
• Fred Morrison, Bishopton, Scotland
• Allan Russell, Kelty, Scotland
• Iain Speirs, Edinburgh
• Niall Stewart, Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland
• Craig Sutherland, Crieff, Scotland
• Greg Wilson, Christchurch, New Zealand

A-Grade MSR (34 entered)

Judges: Bruce Hitchings, Jim McGillivray, Jack Taylor

• Calum Brown, Peterculter, Scotland
• Glenn Brown, Glasgow
• Gordon Bruce, Kilwinning, Scotland
• Sandy Cameron, Roybridge, Scotland
• Greig Canning, Kirkcaldy, Scotland
• Andrew Carlisle, Pittsburgh
• Seumas Coyne, Glendale, California
• Andrew Donlon, Washington, DC
• Jamie Forrester, Haddington, Scotland
• Steven Gray, Lockerbie, Scotland
• Jonathan Greenlees, Glasgow
• Jenny Hazzard, Edinburgh
• Nick Hudson, Houston
• Liam Kernaghan, Auckland, New Zealand
• Steven Leask, Glasgow
• Alastair Lee, Surrey, British Columbia
• Peter MacGregor, Dunfermline, Scotland
• Angus J. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland
• James MacHattie, Summerside, Prince Edward Island
• Ben McClamrock, Washington, DC
• Cameron McDougall, Nigg, Scotland
• Sean McKeown, Bowmanville, Ontario
• Ashley McMichael, Antrim, Northern Ireland
• Derek Midgley, Tinton Falls, New Jersey
• Callum Moffat, Lockerbie, Scotland
• Sarah Muir, Glasgow
• Craig Muirhead, Stirling, Scotland
• John Mulhearn, Carluke, Scotland
• Willie Rowe, Manawatu, New Zealand
• Connor Sinclair, Crieff, Scotland
• Innes Smith, Glasgow
• Neil Smith, Blanefield, Scotland
• Darach Urquhart
• Calum Watson, Edinburgh
• Matt Wilson, Dollar, Scotland

Friday, August 30th

Clasp (20 entered)

Judges: Patricia Henderson, Iain MacFadyen, Jim McGillivray

• Chris Armstrong
• Callum Beaumont
• Glenn Brown, Glasgow
• Stuart Easton
• Bruce Gandy
• Alasdair Henderson
• Nick Hudson, Houston
• Finlay Johnston, Glasgow
• Jack Lee, Surrey
• Stuart Liddell
• Angus D. MacColl
• Ian K. MacDonald
• Roddy MacLeod
• William McCallum
• Fred Morrison
• Connor Sinclair
• Innes Smith, Glasgow
• Iain Speirs
• Craig Sutherland
• Greg Wilson

B-Grade MSR (27 entered)

Judges: Mike Cusack, Ian Duncan, Niall Matheson

• Fraser Allison
• Keith Bowes, Erskine, Scotland
• Ruairidh Brown, Dunblane, Scotland
• Finlay Cameron
• Kris Coyle, Northern Ireland
• John Dew
• Jacob Dicker
• Bobby Durning
• Stuart Easton
• Jamie Elder
• Andrew Ferguson
• Eddie Gaul
• Andrew Hall, Glasgow
• Eireann Iannetta-Mackay, Burrelton, Scotland
• Zephan Knickel
• Dan Lyden
• Angus MacPhee
• Cameron May
• Chris McLeish
• Ross Miller
• Dan Nevans, Glasgow
• Matt Pantaleoni
• Bradley Parker
• Jonathon Simpson
• Brodie Watson-Massey
• Jack Williamson, Topeka, Kansas
• Callum Wynd

Premier & A-Grade Hornpipe & Jig (48 entered)

Judges: Murray Henderson, Angus MacDonald, Willie Morrison

• Chris Armstrong
• Callum Beaumont
• Calum Brown
• Gordon Bruce
• Sandy Cameron
• Greig Canning
• Andrew Carlisle
• Seumas Coyne
• Andrew Donlon
• Cameron Drummond
• Ben Duncan
• Brendon Eade
• Jamie Forrester
• Alex Gandy
• Bruce Gandy
• Steven Gray
• Jonathan Greenlees
• Jenny Hazzard
• Alasdair Henderson
• Nick Hudson
• Liam Kernaghan
• Steven Leask
• Alastair Lee
• Stuart Liddell
• Angus D. MacColl
• Angus J. MacColl
• Ian K. MacDonald
• Cameron MacDougall
• Peter MacGregor
• James MacHattie
• Roddy MacLeod
• Ben McClamrock
• Sean McKeown
• Ashley McMichael
• Derek Midgley
• Fred Morrison
• Sarah Muir
• Craig Muirhead
• John Mulhearn
• Willie Rowe
• Connor Sinclair
• Innes Smith
• Iain Speirs
• Craig Sutherland
• Darach Urquhart
• Calum Watson, Edinburgh
• Matthew Wilson, Dollar, Scotland
• Greg Wilson

B-Grade Hornpipe & Jig (27 entered)

Judges: Ronnie McShannon, John Wilson

• Fraser Allison
• Keith Bowes
• Ruairidh Brown
• Finlay Cameron
• Kris Coyle
• John Dew
• Jacob Dicker
• Bobby Durning
• Stuart Easton
• Jamie Elder
• Andrew Ferguson
• Eddie Gaul
• Andrew Hall
• Eireann Iannetta-Mackay
• Zephan Knickel
• Dan Lyden
• Angus MacPhee
• Cameron May
• Chris McLeish
• Ross Miller
• Dan Nevans
• Matt Pantaleoni
• Bradley Parker
• Jonathon Simpson
• Brodie Watson-Massey
• Jack Williamson
• Callum Wynd