Congrats Stuart Liddell/IDPB

September 4th this year, at the Northern Meeting in Inverness, Stuart Liddell won the Former Winners Clasp (piobaireachd), and hornpipe/jig competition, in a field including Roddy MacLeod, Jack Lee, and Murray Henderson, Alisdair Ghillies, and Angus MacColl. He also finished 3rd in the MSR, to Willie MacCallum, and Angus MacColl. Stuart is from Inveraray Scotland, a place I stayed in August 2005. In 2004 he started a piping project in Inveraray. The last pipe band from that area was in the 1930's. I heard from some of Inverarary's townspeople that it had been led by Stuart's grandfather, PM Ronnie McCallum, MBE, who was the piper for the Duke of Argyll. Inveraray and District had been without a pipe band for nearly 70 years. I had the opportunity to hear their first competition at the Cowal Gathering in '05, where they finished 13th 0f 19 in Novice Juvenile. I have followed their progress on and off since then. I was sorely dissapointed when the Grade 3 results were announced at this years worlds, and Inverarary and District Pipe Band were not even mentioned. I did not realize that they had progressed to Grade 2, in which they had already won the British, European, and Scottish Championships this year. You can imagine my surprise when IDPB was announced World Championships for Grade 2. Their win at the Cowal Gathering clinched their 2009 Champion of Champions title, which has not been done since 2002, in Grade 2. With his win at Inverness, Stuart put the capstone on a tremendous season of piping. IDPB was only a piping project in '04. Their progress to World Champs in 5 years, has to be one of the most amazing stories in the history of piping. Well Done Stuart and band!!! Check out these videos: (move cursor down, and they will appear) Inveraray and District Pipe Band Grade 2 Worlds 2009

Inveraray & District Pipe Band winning the World championships 2009 ...more to follow!