Pipe Major Stuart Liddell MBE
Stuart Liddell, from Inveraray, started piping at the age of nine and was originally taught by his grandfather, the late Pipe Major Ronald McCallum M.B.E. and later, Arthur Gillies. He has also had tuition from Jim Henderson and Hugh McCallum.
One of the most gifted pipers in the world today, he has won three Clasps at Inverness, the Senior Piobaireachd at Oban five times, both Gold Medals and is a three-time Glenfiddich Piping Champion.
Stuart is founder and Pipe Major of the Inveraray & District Pipe Band, winners of the World Pipe Band Championship in 2017 and 2019 in Grade 1. Previously he was a member of the Scottish Power Pipe Band for seven years thereafter joining the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band from Vancouver, Canada with whom he played for eleven years.
A piano tuner to trade, he is also piping instructor at Mid Argyll Primary and Lochgilphead High Schools.
Pipe Sergeant Alasdair Henderson
Alasdair is originally from the small town of Dunoon, on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll. With piping running in the family, it is here that he started his initial piping lessons under the tutelage of his uncle P/M Jim Henderson.
After moving to Glasgow to undertake a BA (Scottish Music – Piping) he had the opportunity to study under a number of great pipers, all of which have shaped his playing in different ways and whose input he is tremendously grateful for.
He is a regular competitor around the solo piping circuit here in Scotland and has been very fortunate to take prizes at some of the most prestigious events including:
• 1st in the Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting, Inverness
• 1st in the Former Winners MSR at the Argyllshire Gathering, Oban
• 1st in the Silver Medal at the Northern Meeting, Inverness
• 1st in the A grade March at the Argyllshire Gathering, Oban
• 1st in the A grade Strathspey and Reel at the Argyllshire Gathering, Oban
He was a member of the Scottish Power pipe band for four years before joining Inveraray and District for the 2010 competing season. In 2014 he was promoted to the position of Pipe Sergeant and since then the band has won two World Championship titles (2017 & 2019) in addition to 10 Major Championships.
After leaving university in 2010 he has been actively employed as a Piping Instructor in some of the most prestigious schools in Scotland. Firstly at George Heriot’s and currently at Fettes College. In addition to this he has taught at piping schools and delivered workshops across Europe, USA, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
Leading Drummer Steven McWhirter
Steven McWhirter is a native of Northern Ireland and now resides in Falkirk, Scotland with his wife Grace and two children Harry and Maggie. He has won the Adult World Solo Drumming Championships on 10 occasions, the most current in October 2019, and is a full time drumming instructor at the Edinburgh Academy.
Since he took over the leadership of the Inveraray and District Pipe Band their drum corps has steadily risen to become one of the top drum corps in the world.
Steven began drumming in 1993 at the age of 10, with initial lessons from his father, Dessie. Steven joined his local Cullybackey Pipe Band in 1994, receiving snare instruction from Adrian Hoy. During his time under Adrian’s instruction Steven won many Juvenile and Junior solo competitions including the Worlds Juvenile section one on two occasions. He remained under the direction of Adrian until Cullybackey won the Grade 2 World Drumming title in 2001. It was then, in 2002 that J. Reid Maxwell approached him to join the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band in Vancouver, Canada.
Between the years of 2002 – 2008 he travelled from his home in Northern Ireland to compete, teach and perform with the band in British Columbia, Canada.
As leading drummer of the Inveraray and District Pipe Band, Steven has led the band to the 2017 and 2019 World Pipe Band Championship title.
Band Manager Jim McMillan
Born and bred in Cumnock in Ayrshire, Jim moved to Inveraray in 1991 when he became the manager of the Royal Bank there, having previously worked in Kilmarnock, Glasgow and Oban. He is now happily retired.
He and his wife Isabel have now lived in the town for over 30 years. Jim doesn’t play pipes or drums (just a bit of guitar) and became involved with the Inveraray Piping Project through his children, Laura and Graeme.
Laura who was being taught pipes at school by Stuart was one of the first pipers in the Inveraray & District Pipe band and son Graeme, who was getting lessons at Oban Pipe Band at the time, was the first drummer (he was leading drummer when the band played in the Novice and Juvenile grades).
When the decision was made to form the band in 2004, Jim offered to help with the administration and source grants for uniforms and equipment. From then on things snowballed and he “inherited” the job as Band Secretary/Manager and registered the then Novice Juvenile band with the RSPBA in 2005.
Laura is still a member of the band and gets back to compete with them as and when she can as she now lives in Australia with husband Chris Johnston (leading drummer with The Pipe Band Club) and their two children, Rory and Olivia. Laura and Chris teach pipes and drums respectively at the Scots College in Sydney.
Graeme left the band in 2014 to concentrate on his studies and is now a solicitor with the local Council although he recently returned to drumming by teaching youngsters in the area through the Mid Argyll Pipe Band.
Jim is delighted to see how IDPB has progressed through the grades over the years and from “a small acorn” has become one of the “great oaks” of the pipe band World.
Pipers & Drummers
Pipers
- Harry Adair
- Calum Brown
- Greig Canning
- John Dew
- Anthony Doherty
- Andrew Douglas
- Connor Eckert
- Jamie Elder
- Steven Gray
- Rory Grossart
- Chris Happs
- Geordie Hunter
- Connor Jardine
- Calum Kaye
- Alasdair MacKenzie
- Greg McAllister
- Christopher McCartan
- Laura McMillan
- Ross Miller
- Craig Muirhead
- Kegan Sheehan
- Johan Van Der Wal
- William Wallace
- Brodie Watson-Massey
Snare Drummers
- Callum Copeland
- Scott Fletcher
- Mark Hastings
- Cameron Lawson
- Ian Lawson
- Andy McCulloch
- Chris McNicholl
- Blake McVeigh
- Gus Sicard
- Rachel Thom
- Marcus Wenlock
Bass Section
- Fergus Bryce
- Louise Augaitis
- Jordan Bailie
- Eilidh Fyfe
- Sophie Martin
- Mairi McKinnon
- Beth McNeill
- Morven Walker
Drum Major
- Liam Renton