The Argyllshire Gathering Piping Competition 2024 takes place in Oban, Argyll on Wednesday 21 August and Thursday 22 August 2024.
The Competition features two days of piping excellence, with over 200 pipers from across the globe competing in this, the world's foremost solo piping competition.
Whether you are a supporter, interested spectator or competitor, there is simply nowhere better for solo piping!
Over 2 days in August, the west coast town of Oban comes alive to the sound of the pipes. The Argyllshire Gathering Piping Competition is a prestigious event attracting over 200 top class pipers from around the world who come to Oban to compete in more than 10 prestigious Piobaireachd, March, Strathspey & Reel and Jig competitions.
Pipers' friends, family and the general public are most welcome to come and hear the pipers play as they compete in indoor venues across Oban and outdoors at Oban Games.
Take part in one of the world's foremost solo piping competitions - the Argyllshire Gathering Piping Competition. The annual competitions are held in the west coast town of Oban - Argyll's gateway to the islands. Top class piping takes place over two days in the following solo piping competitions:
The Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal Competition – Piobaireachd
The Senior Piobaireachd Competition - Piobaireachd
The Highland Society of London’s MacGregor Memorial Competition- Piobaireachd
The Argyllshire Gathering Silver Medal Competition - Piobaireachd
Former Winners Competition - March, Strathspey & Reel
Intermediate March, Strathspey & Reel Competition
A March and A Strathspey & Reel Competition
B March and B Strathspey & Reel Competition
Jigs Competition
Junior and Local March, Strathspey & Reel Competitions
To apply to enter the Argyllshire Gathering Piping Competitions, simply complete the online application form here>
Competition eligibility details and general rules are listed below and in the online application forms. Once accepted, pay your entry fees securely online and enter your tune selection online. No entry fee is required from competitors in the MacGregor Memorial, the Intermediate March, Strathspey and Reel, Local Competitions or the Junior March, Strathspey and Reel.
Juniors and locals can enter on the field.
We look forward to receiving your application and welcoming pipers to the next Argyllshire Gathering Piping Competition in August.
The Argyllshire Gathering Piping Competition is subject to the General Rules (click to see). This excludes the MacGregor Memorial Competition, the Rules of which are issued by the Highland Society of London - see MacGregor Memorial entry below).
Piping Competition General Rules>Click any Competition title below to see full details of prizes, eligibility and tune selections.
Cash prize values shown are those from the 2022 Competition; any changes for 2023 will be published here when available.
Prizes: The Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal, Brigadier Lorne Campbell of Airds VC Trophy
Cash Prizes: Money prizes presented by the Highland Society of London and the Piobaireachd Society:
1st £550, 2nd £400, 3rd £250, 4th £200, 5th £150*
*this prize is at the discretion of the judges and stewards
Eligibility: Entry is restricted to those already notified of their eligibility to compete by the Joint Committee of the Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting in the year of the competition.
Tunes: Competitors will submit four of the following tunes, one of which they will be required to play.
Sobieski’s Salute PS 5
The Lament for the Only son PS 6, K
Queen Anne’s Lament PS 7, K
The Rout of the Lowland Captain PS 9
The Black Wedder’s White Tail PS 11
The MacDonalds’ Salute PS 11
Lament for the Dead PS 11
Abercairney’s Salute PS 11
MacKintosh of Borlum’s Salute PS 12
The Menzies’ Salute PS 15, K
Competitors are not restricted to settings in the Piobaireachd Society Collection and Kilberry Book. Those who wish to play alternative settings should submit legible scores, indicating the origins of the settings, to competition organisers along with their tune selections.
PS = Piobaireachd Society Collection K = Kilberry Book of Ceol Mor. The Donald MacLeod and PS 20th Century Piobaireachd collections have been corrected and re-printed recently in A4 format and it is recommended that these be used as the sources for these tunes.
Apply to enter hereR
Prize: The Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Piping and Fiddle) Senior Piobaireachd Trophy, and the Kilberry Cup presented by the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (both to be held for one year).
Cash Prizes: 1st £1000, 2nd £500, 3rd £300, 4th £200, 5th £150*
*this prize is at the discretion of the judges and stewards
Eligibility: Previous winners of the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal at the Argyllshire Gathering or the Northern Meeting.
Tunes: Competitors will submit six tunes from The Piobaireachd Society list of Set Tunes 2023 available at www.piobaireachd.co.uk/set-tunes-archives/set-tunes-2023/set-tunes-2023-2, the selection of tunes to be consistent with the conditions stated there by the Society.
Competitors are not restricted to settings in the Piobaireachd Society Collection and Kilberry Book. Those who wish to play alternative settings should submit legible scores, indicating the origins of the settings, to competition organisers along with their tune selections.
Apply to enter hereR
Prizes: The College of Piping Trophy, to be held for one year. A special prize: an R G Hardie Infinity Pipe Chanter kindly donated by R G Hardie & Co.
Cash Prizes: Money prizes awarded by the Highland Society of London: 1st £110, 2nd £85, 3rd £60, 4th £50*
*this prize is at the discretion of the judges and stewards
Eligibility: Open to Competitors under 22 on the day of competition who have not previously won first prize in this event. See the full Rules below.
Competition & Tunes: Competitors will submit FOUR tunes. There will be two heats. Four competitors will go through to the final from each heat. The finalists will be asked to play a second tune out of their four. The prize winners will be the best of those eight, judged on both their tunes.
MacGregor Memorial rules hereR
Apply to enter hereR
Prize: A Silver Medal presented by the Argyllshire Gathering.
Cash Prizes: Cash prizes awarded by John Campbell of Kilberry: 1st £350, 2nd £300, 3rd £150, 4th £100, 5th £60*
*this prize is at the discretion of the judges and stewards
Eligibility: Entry is restricted to those already notified of their eligibility to compete by the Joint Committee of the Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting in the year of the competition.
Tunes: Competitors will submit four of the following tunes, one of which they will be required to play.
Weighing From Land PS 2, K
Welcome Johnny back Again PS 9
Fair Honey PS 9
Sir Ewan Cameron of Locheil’s Salute PS 10
Nameless, ‘One of the Cragich’ PS 12
Nameless, (Hihorodo tra cherede che) PS 12
Salute to Young Neil PS 13
Lament for Finlay PS 13
PS = Piobaireachd Society Collection K = Kilberry Book of Ceol Mor. The Donald MacLeod and PS 20th Century Piobaireachd collections have been corrected and re-printed recently in A4 format and it is recommended that these be used as the sources for these tunes.
Competitors are not restricted to settings in the Piobaireachd Society Collection and Kilberry Book. Those who wish to play alternative settings should submit legible scores, indicating the origins of the settings, to competition organisers along with their tune selections.
Apply to enter hereR
Prizes: 1st Prize The P/M Ronald McCallum Memorial Trophy, The Royal Scottish Pipers’ Society Silver Star.
Cash Prizes: 1st £550, 2nd £400, 3rd £250, 4th £200, 5th £150
Eligibility: Confined to previous 1st prize winners in the A grade March or in the A grade Strathspey and Reel competitions at the Argyllshire Gathering.
Apply to enter hereR
Prizes: The Pipe Major Robert G Hardie Memorial Trophy
Cash Prizes: money prizes presented by R G Hardie Ltd: 1st £60, 2nd £50, 3rd £40, 4th £30, 5th £20*
*this prize is at the discretion of the judges and stewards
Eligibility: Open only to competitors who competed in The MacGregor Memorial Piobaireachd Competition and that are not B graded.
Tunes: Competitors must submit 3 Marches, 3 Strathspeys and 3 Reels.
Apply to enter hereR
Prizes: 1st Prize (A grade) The Royal Scottish Pipers’ Society Bronze Star and The Maclaine of Lochbuie Trophy (to be held for one year)
Cash Prizes: Money prizes for both competitions (A grade presented by MacLaine of Lochbuie):
March A: 1st £140, 2nd £110, 3rd £85, 4th £70, 5th £60
March B: 1st £95, 2nd £70, 3rd £60, 4th £50, 5th £40
Eligibility: Open to all in each of Grades A and B who have not won this Competition at the Argyllshire Gathering, and who have been notified of their eligibility to compete by the Joint Committee of the Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting in the year of the competition.
Tunes: Competitors must submit with their entries the names of SIX Marches, any of which they may be called upon to play.
Prizes: 1st Prize (A Grade) The Argyllshire Gathering’s Silver Medal and the Angus John MacNeil of Barra Memorial Cup (to be held for one year).
Cash Prizes: Money prizes for both competitions (A grade presented by Maclaine of Lochbuie).
Strathspey & Reel A: 1st £140, 2nd £110, 3rd £85, 4th £70, 5th £60
Strathspey & Reel B: 1st £95, 2nd £70, 3rd £60, 4th £50, 5th £40
Eligibility: Open to all in each of Grades A and B who have not won this Competition at the Argyllshire Gathering. Entry is restricted to those already notified of their eligibility to compete by the joint Committee of the Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting in the year of the competition.
Tunes: Competitors must submit with their entries the names of SIX Strathspeys and SIX Reels, any of which they may be called upon to play.
Apply to enter hereR
Prizes: The Donald Ramsay trophy
Cash Prizes: donated by Deirdre and Robert Horneyold Strickland 1st £90, 2nd £65, 3rd £55, 4th £45, 5th £35
Eligibility: Open to all competitors ruled eligible to compete in the A or B light music competitions.
Competition: Competitors must submit with their entries the names of SIX Jigs, any of which they may be called upon to play.
Apply to enter hereR
Prize: 1st Prize, the President’s Silver Gilt Medal and a bursary in memory of the late 12th Duke of Argyll; 2nd Prize, Silver Medal; 3rd Prize, Bronze Medal.
Eligibility: Confined to boys and girls under 16 years on the day of the Competition (see Rule 16) who comply with any of the provisions of Rule 12 (as proved to the satisfaction of the Stewards).
STRATHSPEY AND REEL (LOCAL)
Cash Prizes: 1st £60, 2nd £50, 3rd £40, 4th £30
Tunes: Competitors must submit with their entries the names of THREE Strathspeys and THREE Reels, any of which they may be called upon to play.
A Cup donated by the late Major George Melville Duncan O.B.E. of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, to be held for one year, will be presented for the best performance in the Local piping competitions (events 5 and 6): a First counting 3½ points, a Second 2 points, and a Third 1 point.
N.B. Competitions 5, 6 and 7 are restricted to those eligible under Rules 12, 13 and 16.
MARCHES (LOCAL)
Cash Prizes: 1st £60, 2nd £50, 3rd £40, 4th £30
Tunes: Competitors must submit with their entries the names of THREE Marches, any of which they may be called upon to play.
Entry: Pipers sign up to enter on the field on the day at the Oban Games.