PICTURES: Contest is piping hot with overseas entrants winning four out of the eight senior piping contests at this year’s Northern Meeting Piping Competitions in Inverness
Overseas entrants won four out of the eight senior piping contests at this year’s Northern Meeting Piping Competitions in Inverness.
The event, which returned after three years, was held last week at Eden Court Theatre.
Alan Forbes, the convener of the competitions, said at the prize-giving ceremony that the cancellations in 2020 and 2021 was the first period outside of the First and Second World Wars when there had been no annual competitions.
The competitions were first held in Inverness in 1841. Inverness Provost Glynis Sinclair presented the prizes in Eden Court’s OneTouch Theatre.
Mr Forbes announced his retirement as piping convener after 13 years in the role – he will hand over before the next competitions to Derek Fraser who enjoyed a successful solo piping career winning The Silver Medal in the Argyllshire Gathering and is a committee member of the Solo Piping Judges’ Association.
Organising committee chairman Major General Seymour Monro said: “Alan has been a wonderful convener ensuring that the premier solo piping competition in the world maintained its high standards despite the difficult period of the Covid pandemic.
“This year has been superb with excellent piping, outstanding organisation and the addition of live-streaming.
“Alan has retired on a very high note and the Northern Meeting Piping Competition and all the competitors over the years are most grateful to him.”
Some contests were live-streamed online for the first time this year.
