Join Gary as he takes you on another eclectic piping journey across Scotland and beyond. Playlist Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton with Wan from Symbiosis 1   John Wilson with 93rd Highlanders at Modder River, Maggie Cameron and Major David Manson from The World’s Greatest Pipers Volume 5   Malin Lewis with Hiraeth from Halocline   Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band with Medley set, Salute to James A Henderson, Flee the Glen, The Panda, Farewell to Camraw, Maggie Cameron, The Nine...

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, Hag at the Churn, Humours of Whisky, Polka, Speeding in the Desert from the Wheel of Fortune 2024   Gary West with Kilworth Hills from The...

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! Playlist Cameron Drummond with Donald MacLellan of Rothesay, the Ewe with the Crooked Horn and Drumlithie.   Craig Sutherland with the Liberton Pipe...

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 the Islay Ball, the Shepherd’s Crook, Loch Carron and the Rookery from Another Day at the Office   78th Fraser Highlanders with the...

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 Iain Morrison with Mrs Duncan MacFadyen, Sandy MacPherson and the Traditional Reel from Back to Back   Pipe Major Donald MacLeod with Lachie’s...

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 MacDonald’s Jig, Donald MacLean, Chloe’s Passion and the Foot Tapper from Live  Tim Edey and Ross Ainslie with Lunny’s from Diad.   Listener's...

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 to the Blackmount Forrest, Inveraray Castle and Mrs MacPherson of Inveran,  EYP Recording   Neil Johnstone with Farewell to Nigg from...

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 with Alan Dodd's Farewell to Scotland, Lady MacKenzie of Gairloch and Roddy MacDonald's Fancy, EYP Recording March 2024 Fionnlagh Mac...

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 Duncan with Ian Green of Greentrax and Mr and Mrs Duncan’s Golden Wedding from Thunderstruck.  Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band with the Battle of...

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 from Cock o the North  Willie McCallum with Dora Macleod, Caledonian Society of London, Roddy MacDonald’s Fancy, Fiona MacLeod, Dr MacPhail’s...

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 Mike Vass with Settled in Clay The Ghillies with The Passive Drinker and Sir James of the Bings Liz Doherty with Jonny Sunshine Sarah Hoy,...

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 Daze   Tejedor with Salton d’Lyana from Music na Maleta   Canterbury Caledonian Society with Chief Grey Feather, Guards Club Recital Series,...

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 Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band with The Lark in the Morning, Queen of the Rushes and St Ninian's Parish Centre Ceilidh  People's...

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 Berwick Johnny from Harta   Allan MacDonald with Cumha Alasdair Dheirg Mhic ic Alasdair (Lament for Alasdair Dearg of Glengarry) from...

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 the Rambles of Kitty from Soma Simon Fraser University Pipe Band with Ian Green of Greentrax and Rachel’s Hornpipe from the Midwest Highland...

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, Round the World for Sport, Rip the Calico, Martin Wynne’s, the Enchanted Lady, the Holy Land from The Best of the Bothy Band  Stuart...

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) from Lochbroom   Dr Angus MacDonald with Yester House, The Kames Lassies, The Back of the Change House, Dan J Campbell’s Reel, A Cur na Gobhair...

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’ll Never be Guided, Played in the Low Country and Woo’d and Married and A (private recording)   The Vale of Atholl Pipe Band with Satellite...

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 from Midwest Highland Arts Fund: Winter Storm 2006  Fred Morrison with the Kansas City Hornpipe from Live at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall    St...

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 Dubh gu Buala Dubh, and Allan J. Nairn of Ceann Tràgha (all Seonaidh MacIntyre) from The Piper and the Maker 2 – Celebrating C People’s Ford...

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 community-based piping and drumming initiative from the East Ayrshire Pipe Band Academy and the Kilmarnock Pipe Band. And there's a special mix tape...

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 Stacey Giermann.  There's a National Piping Centre recording of Willie McCallum from 25 years ago, a set of tunes from some of Gary's fellow...

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 & Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band with Call to the Gathering  Simon McKerrell with Lucy Cassidy, Duncan Johnstone and The Madchester...

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 while Mairearad Green and Anna Massie get down and folky! And in a special tribute to the late Skye Richendrfer of the Celtic Arts Foundation on...