Locating the Kilt Pin

[OC Richard]

Of course, WHERE to place the kilt pin should be asked in the context of WHETHER. I've solved the "whether" question by getting one distinct pin per kilt and not moving it around.

For many years I only owned one kilt pin, a Celtic Cross I had custom made in the 1980s.

Several years ago I bought something I've long wanted but never got round to getting, a classic traditional kilt pin by one of the old jewellers. My first Highland Dress catalogue, that I got in the mid-1970s, was my first guidebook to Highland Dress and something like the Sears Wishbook rolled into one, and it had a full-page photo of dozens of traditional kilt pins. Well, 50 years on I finally got one.



So I have two, but much of the time I don't bother.

But, your marathon of watching the World Piping Championships causes me to ask ANOTHER question: Is it hard to get good tickets for the "Worlds" (online purchases months in advance vs just buying seats at the gate)?

It doesn't sell out so just getting tickets at the gate is fine.

The stands at the Grade One Arena are a different matter, they do sell out. I would get those in advance. But the stands are only on two sides, and a third side is just a fence, and hundreds of people watch for free from there.

How do you go about watching them from the US?

The BBC live streams the Grade One Finals at the Worlds every year, you can watch it from anywhere in the world for free. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00dp4m5 (They don't have all the 2025 Worlds bands up yet.)

They do a fantastic job. Expert commentary is provided every year by Bob Worrall, an iconic figure in the international piping world.

It's a worldwide viewing party and Bob is the host! As it goes along he gives "shout outs" (imagine a Canadian accent) to the viewing parties being held in pubs and homes in Singapore, Australia, Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro, you name it, as well as all across North America and Europe. The piping community wants to see it live no matter what the hour.

Bob has his catch-phrases which have become famous in the piping community. There's a Bob Worrall drinking game.

Do those military bands participate in the World Championships?

When I was at Perth and The Worlds last August yes the pipes & drums of 2SCOTS was there at both.

The pipes and drums of 3SCOTS and 4SCOTS also compete at various Highland Games when they can. Obviously they're sometimes deployed overseas and not available. Ditto the pipes & drums of The Scots Guards and The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, which are London-based Guards regiments, not Highland regiments.

I learned there was an app for tuning the drones... Is there a similar way of tuning one's chanter?

There are TONS of apps and standalone handheld tuning devices designed specifically for the Highland pipes.

Yes they work for the chanter and drones both.

My favourite is the Braw Tuner app. I'm a visual person and I love the way it creates a map, a chart, of your chanter scale so at a glance you can see exactly where each note is at. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0TjjqKR8T4

And, if I can gather my sister and sons for an August 2026 "Pipes and Drums" immersion vacation, are there other venues I should consider having on my list besides the Tattoo in Edinburgh, the Worlds in Glasgow, and the UK in Perth (apparently, that contest was canceled this year)?

There are tons of Highland Games across Scotland (and the rest of the UK) all summer. Most larger Games have pipe band competitions.

The biggest one of course is the Worlds, with over 200 bands each year. But Perth, the weekend prior to the Worlds, is nearly as big due to the fact that overseas bands generally arrive a week and a half before the Worlds so they can compete at Perth as well.

Perth did happen this year, and most of the bands at the Worlds were there. It's sort of the "warmup" for the Worlds.

Another incentive for bands to compete at Perth is that it's a "Major". Certain contests are designated "Majors" and function as the European Championships, the UK Championships, the Scottish Championships, etc.

Here's a list of the RSPBA contests for 2024. (Just to get an idea, you would have to check to see what the 2026 schedule will be.) Be aware that the "Majors" can switch venues from year to year.

https://rspba.org/results/bands/contests/2024/