Gary pays tribute to the late Fergie MacDonald, the Ceilidh King, who passed away recently. There's more sets from this year's Wheel of Fortune competition, and a brand new award-winning pibroch from Regina's Iain MacDonald. Playlist Fergie MacDonald with Highland Jigs from The Ceilidh King Angus Nicholson with Cearcal a Chuain, Duncan Johnstone, H…

Gary invites you to a ringside seat to take in this year's Wheel of Fortune contest held at the Danderhall Miners' Club in Midlothian on the 21st of April 2024. This is one of the most exciting and imaginative competitions in the piping calendar, and produced some wonderful music again this year. And you can hear it exclusively here in EYP! Playlis…

Tracks Played Daimh with Ida’s Jig from Diversions St Lawrence O’Toole Pipe Band with the Donegal Lass set from Turas Ceoil – Resume, Live in Glasgow 2018. Alastair Hanning with the Lament for Glencoe, Highland Harry, Thomson’s Dirk from the City of Wellington Highland Pipe Band. Skiltron with Bagpipes of War from The Highland Way Brian Lamond with…

Gary invites you to travel with him to explore some of the people, places and tunes associated with the Isle of Lewis, including a visit to the home and workshop of piper and reed-maker, James Duncan MacKenzie. Tracks The Field Marshall Montgomery Pipe Band with The Ness Pipers Set from Impact – Live at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Pipe Major Iai…

Gary celebrates the fact that EYP is a year old this week, with another eclectic mix of tunes and styles from the world of bagpipes. Tracks Played Ross Miller with The Candlewood Suites Reel, Restalrig Road and Molly Rankin’s from The Restalrig Reels Stuart Liddell with Gaelic Air and Reels from Inveroran Scottish Power Pipe Band with Michael MacDo…

Gary brings you the winning performances from the B Grade MSR at last weekend's Duncan Johnstone Memorial contest in Glasgow. Tracks Played Ross Connor with Morag Ramsay, Cat Lodge and Little Cascade, EYP Recording Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham with Father John MacMillan of Barra from Five and Twenty Cameron May with the Duke of Roxburgh’s Farewell …

Gary brings you highlights of the 'Accents' concert held at the National Piping Centre on 14th March. Tune in for some wonderful music on highland pipes, smallpipes, border pipes, clarsach, viola, guitar and piano from some of Scotland and Ireland's finest emerging traditional musicians. Thanks to my sponsor, RG Hardie Bagpipes Playlist Sarah Muir …

Gary celebrates the contribution made to Scotland's music by Ian Green of Greentrax Recordings, who passed away this week, and is joined by Ian's friend, pipe maker, musician and promoter, Hamish Moore, who shares his memories of Ian and also tells us all about an exciting new competition he is organising on the island of Raasay. Playlist Gordon Du…

Gary introduces more top drawer music of the bagpipe as he looks ahead to some of the live piping events which can be heard across Scotland in the weeks ahead as we move towards a new season. Tracks Fraser Fifield with The Old Road o Lumphanan from One Great Circle Drums and Pipes and Regimental Band of the Gordon Highlanders with Highland Troop fr…

Gary invites you to join him at the Far North Retreat near Tain in the company of fellow instructors Fin Moore, Mike Vass and Liz Doherty, and a host of other musicians who have gathered there this week for tunes, laughs and craic! Tracks Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton with Mink John D Burgess with the Swallow Tailed Coat set Seudan with Tullochgorm M…

Gary invites you on a tour which takes in the music of Scotland, Ireland, Northumbria, Asturias, Brittany, New Zealand and Cuba. And there's a first chance to hear a brand new bagpipe-infused single from Linlithgow's very own town piper, Ross Miller. The Battlefield Band with The Merry Macs, Dr Iain MacAonghais and Mrs Chisholm’s Delight from Happy…

Gary brings you the full set from the reigning world pipe band champions' performance at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall as part of Celtic Connections 2024. Tracks Beolach with Berrigan's Folly from All Hands Pipe Major Angus MacDonald with Eileen MacDonald, Traditional Jig and the Glasgow City Police Pipers from Ceol Beag at the Castle People's For…

Gary introduces highlights from the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland's performance on the main stage of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, as part of Celtic Connections 2024. John Dew with the Duncan Johnstone, John MacKenzie, Eastwood Cottage and the High Bridge Walk from The High Bridge Walk Harta with To Dauntin Me, Linkumdoddie and Go to Berwi…

Gary invites you to eavesdrop on a practice by the reigning world pipe band champions, the People's Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia, as they make their final preparations for their Celtic Connections appearance at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. With thanks as always to our sponsor, RG Hardie Bagpipes Support the show Tracks John McSherry with …

Gary brings a light touch to Burns' night with a couple of the bard's songs this week, from Robyn Stapleton and our very own Eilidh West. There's a return visit to the bagpipe factory of RG Hardie & Co to catch up on the latest news from there, plus plenty of top drawer piping from bands and soloists alike. Tracks The Bothy Band with Leitrim Fancy,…

It may be the bleak mid winter but there's plenty to warm you up in this week's episode of EYP as we celebrate more top drawer music from the world of the bagpipe. Tracks Played Ross Miller with D Major MacKenzie, Rona’s Reel and Mornington from The Roke Alasdair Gillies with The Inverness Gathering, The Cameron Quickstep (as a march then hornpipe)…

Gary brings you more top drawer music of the bagpipes from a the airts, with visits to Shetland, Dumfriesshire, Frankfurt, USA, Canada and Galicia. Tracks Chris Stout and Finlay MacDonald Band with Borve Castle from The Cauld Wind Angus MacColl with Sine Bhan, Traditional Reels from The Lord Todd Piping Recital Challenge Iain MacInnes with How She’…

Gary celebrates the beginning of a new year of piping with a look ahead to this year's Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow which runs from 18th January - 4th February. Playlist The Friel Sisters with Helvic Head / Buried My Wife and Danced on Top of Her / Frahers from The Friel Sisters Stuart Liddell with Troy’s Wedding and the Viennese Waltz fr…

Gary takes a look back at the story so far here on EYP as he revisits some of the highlights of the piping year as it draws to a close. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Guid New Year! Tune in for plenty more music in 2024! Tracks Rura with A Minor Emergency from Dusk Moon. Seonaidh MacIntyre and Ewen Henderson with Finn’s Tune, Bàgh Dub…

Join Gary for more high end music from the world of bagpipes, featuring tunes from Dysart and Dundonald and Alberta Caledonia Pipe Bands, from Andrew Carlisle, the Peatbog Faeries and a project featuring the music of the far north of Scotland entitled Urachadh. There's a double helping from a brand new album, Epic New Dawn, featuring a fabulous com…

Gary is on his travels again, and brings you great music and chat from one of his 'homes from home', the Celtic Arts Foundation in Mount Vernon, in the Pacific North West of the USA. There's live sets from piping supremo, Zephan Knichel, and from the superb fiddle and piano duo of Cayley Schmid and Aaron Guest, as well as gorgeous Gaelic songs from…

Join Gary for more top class music from the world of bagpipes, with tunes from Davy Spillane, Simon McKerrell, Bonnie Rideout & Allan MacDonald, Dr Angus MacDonald, Beolach, the Battlefield Band, Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia and a listener's corner spot from Jock Roarty. Tracks Beolach with Annie’s New Heart from All Hands Peoples Ford Boghall & …

Join Gary as he brings you more great music from that family of instruments we call the bagpipe. At the more traditional end of things, there’s classic tunes from Murray Henderson and we take in the first world championship win from the Field Marshall Montgomery Pipe Band in 1992. Listen out too for a modern twist from Malin Lewis and from Sketch w…

Join Gary as he brings you more great music from bagpipes great and small! There's a double helping from the Northumbrian tradition, a flavour of the Himalayas, up tempo tunes from the wider trad scene, a song from Scottish folk royalty, and a short tribute to Dundee piping great, Harry Ellis, who sadly passed away this week. Tracks James Harper wi…

Gary brings you more high quality music of the bagpipe kind, with tunes from Rura, The Finlay MacDonald Band, Iain MacFadyen, Fred Morrison and Canadian band, Iron Brew. There's a gorgeous version of the pibroch, Desperate Battle of the Birds on pipes and piano, courtesy of Roddy MacLeod and Craig Muirhead, a taster of a brand new piece for pipes a…

Following on from last week's Halloween shenanigans things are a bit more chilled in this episode - although maybe not quite as chilled as the title might suggest! There's fine music from Daimh, Cantrip, Angus and Kenneth MacKenzie, P/M Angus MacDonald, Matt MacIsaac and the Boghall and Bathgate Pipe Band, while Eilidh West, usually to be heard int…

Join Gary for a Halloween special, and hear about some of the deep rooted traditions associated with the festival and what lies behind them. And of course there is plenty of appropriate pipe music to lighten the mood, with sets from Lincoln Hilton, Steve Byrne, The Victoria Police Pipe Band, the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, John MacLean, Troy…

Gary returns after a week’s break with more top-drawer music from the world of bagpipes. There’s a taster of two new albums, True North from uillean pipe maestro, Calum Stewart, and the latest excellent offering from the band, Rura, entitled Dusk Moon. From the solo highland piping there are sets from Willie McCallum and from John Walsh, a double d…

Gary helps to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Lowland and Border Pipers' Society by taking a look at the development, decline, and revival of the bellows bagpipe tradition in Scotland. With music from Gordon Mooney, , Fred Morrison, Annie Grace & Judy Barker, Andy May and ... himself! Tracks Daimh with Jerry’s Pipe Jig, Slainte do Mhabou, Don…

Join Gary for more music from the world of bagpipes, this week with two fine voices thrown in for good measure! These belong to Andy Hunter, who gives us his rendition of the song version of the Ewe wi the Crookit Horn in the company of the Dysart and Dundonald Pipe Band, and nobel laureate, Seumas Heaney, who reads his poem, The Given Note, accomp…

Gary brings you tunes from Angus MacColl, Ann Gray, Shotts and Dykehead, Hecla, Hamish Moore, the Vale of Atholl and a folk classic from Dick Gaughan. And there are musical visits to the Cobblestone Bar in Dublin and the Railway Tavern, Perth. Tracks Hecla with Angus Waltz Intro, Angus John MacNeil of Barra and Angus Sutherland from Hecla: Smallpip…

More great tunes and tales of all things bagpipes, including the story behind the house for sale in Dunkeld, Perthshire, which was built in the 18th century for the piper to the Duke of Atholl. He led quite an interesting life! There's sets too from Llan de Cubel, John Patrick, Stuart Liddell, and Clan Alba, a song from Silly Wizard, pipe tunes on …

Gary introduces more top drawer music of the bagpipe variety, with sets from Seanaidh MacIntyre and Ewen Henderson, Cantrip, Alasdair Gillies, Megan Henderson - and himself! And listen out for a new initiative - our first 'Listener's Slot' - a lovely smallpipes suite which comes from Rob Menzies of British Columbia. Tracks Cantrip with the Eavil Dr…

It's piobaireachd all the way this week as Gary introduces music he recorded at the Captain John A MacLellan MBE Piobaireachd Recital and Dinner held recently in Edinburgh. This annual event celebrates the piobaireachd compositions of the late Captain John, one of the few prolific composers of this music from the 20th century. With tunes from Iain …

Gary welcomes the brand new bellows-pipe quartet, inB, to perform the very first Bothy Session from the shores of the Firth of Forth. Top uillean pipers Louise Mulcahy and Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn team up with Brighde Chaimbeul and Fin Moore on Scottish smallpipes to create a stunning blend of music from both sides of the Irish Sea. This is their very …

Gary presents the podcast in front of a live audience in the Street Cafe at the National Piping Centre in Glasgow as part of the Piping Live Festival. With sets from Finlay MacDonald, John Mulhearn, Andy May, Estonians Catlin and Marko Magi, and the wonderful uillean pipes and Scottish smallpipes quartet, InB. Tracks Simon Fraser University Pipe Ba…

Gary looks ahead to a range of live events across the central belt of Scotland as we reach the sharp end of the piping season with Piping Live in Glasgow and the Fringe in Edinburgh. There's new music from Mark Saul, and timeless tunes from Angus MacColl, Gordon Duncan, Gordon Mooney, and Polkemmet Grorud Pipe Band. And Westie's Wildcard returns wi…

Join Gary from his unscheduled stopover in an airport hotel in Washington DC for the latest instalment of EYP! He had been teaching on the Cairdeas smallpipes course in Vermont, and you can tune in here to hear all about it. With session music, brand new albums and tunes from past instructors, plus plenty of chat - they don't half enjoy their pipin…

Gary reports back from his trip to Washington State in the North West of the USA where he helped to host the Skagit Valley Highland Games. There's music from Willie McCallum, Daimh, Tim Edey & Ross Ainslie, the Masters of Scottish Arts, as well as a quartet featuring Fin Moore, Brighde Chaimbeul, Ross Ainslie (again!) and Gary himself. And there's …

Join Gary for the latest instalment of his podcast which features an incredible piece of percussive blues harp playing from Mike Whellans in partnership with the smallpipes of Battlefield Band piper, Mike Katz. Sadly Mike Whellans passed away last week, so we play this in tribute to his 6 decades of contribution to the music scene in Scotland and b…

Gary brings you more top drawer piping from across Scotland and well beyond, with news and the winning performance from the European Pipe Band Championships held recently in Aberdeen. He samples the brand new release from Daimh, takes you on some rambles to the sound of the uillean piping of John McSherry, while Jack Lee treats us to a fine set rec…

Gary visits the bagpipe makers RG Hardie in Glasgow and takes you on a tour of their workshops to see how the instruments we play and the uniforms we wear start their lives. And look out for an exciting announcement too! There's music from two bands who have won over twenty world titles between them - Muirhead and Sons, and Field Marshall Montgomer…

Gary brings you another eclectic mix of sounds and tunes, including the winning performance at the recent UK Pipe Band Championships from the People's Ford Boghall and Bathgate. There's sets too from North American fiddle and border pipes duo, Ben Miller and Anita MacDonald, from stalwarts of the English folk scene, Blowzabella, top drawer pibroch …

Gary pays musical tribute to long-term friend and stalwart of the pipe band scene, Drum Major Alister 'Bo' Walker of both the Vale of Atholl and Atholl Highlanders pipe bands who sadly passed away this week after a long battle with illness. There are tunes too from the Simon Fraser University pipe band, from top uillean piping duo, Tiarnan O Duinnc…

Gary brings you exclusive highlights from this year's main piping concert at Celtic Connections, held in the main auditorium of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Names and Places is a full length suite composed in the late 1980s by Martin Hughes and Ian Kirkpatrick of the band, Eclipse First, and was (we reckon) the first to be conceived specifically…

Gary chats to the Director of the National Piping Centre, Finlay MacDonald, about life in charge of one of the main piping institutions in the world, and about plans for this year's 20th Piping Live festival in August. With music from Fraser Fifield, Angus MacColl, Willie McCallum, Alasdair Gillies, Ross Ainslie and Tim Edey, as well as from Finlay…

Gary brings you another eclectic mix of pipe music and related sounds from across the globe including 3 tracks from the album of the week, 'Westering Home', recorded in Washington State in 2019 and featuring some of the world's top pipers and drummers. There's tunes too from Hamish Moore, from Willie Clancy, Breton 'supergroup' Den, and from those …

In this week of Eurovision Song Contest mania, Gary explores some of the bagpipe traditions of Europe which continue to flourish across the continent. With visits to Sardinia, Greece, Bulgaria, France, Galicia, Asturias, Northumbria, Ireland and Scotland. Tracks Played Franco Melis with ‘Fiorassiu’ from the Lowland and Border Pipers' Society 2nd Gr…

Gary brings you the winning performances from the recent Wheel of Fortune contest run by the City of Edinburgh Pipe Band, with sets from Cameron Drummond, Craig Sutherland and King of the Jokers, John Mulhearn! There's a classic pipe band track from 1979 which features one of our listeners performing with the Triumph Street Pipe Band from British C…

Gary helps to mark Anzac day, and reflects on the experiences of those who fought in the Gallipoli campaign during the First World War. As well as the troops of Australia and New Zealand, many Scottish regiments saw action there too, some of whom shared their stories with the late Jock Duncan, and which we now share with you. We also pay tribute to…