Chance to join the Pipers’ Trail

Jul 8 2008 by Alison Anderson

IT is not easy to ignore the giant figure of Pipe Major Scott Taylor, so when he starts drumming some musical sense into aspiring pipers and drummers in Perth this week, he’s sure of a captive audience!

Pipe Major Scott Taylor and his team are running workshops on the bagpipe and the highland workshops in Perth as part of the Pipers’ Trail – a musical and theatrical spectacle currently touring Scotland to celebrate the Army in Scotland’s links with the nation’s communities.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for anyone to come and learn about pipes and drums, and have a go, and it beats watching TV during the holidays,” said Scott, who takes over as Pipe Major of The Black Watch (3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland) at the end of the Pipers’ Trail. “Come on down and give it a go.”

The workshops are running at Queens Barracks on Dunkeld Road today, tomorrow, and Thursday, starting at 10am, at a cost of £10.

Perth is the latest stop on the Pipers’ Trail – a six week long musical and theatrical tour 470 miles across the length and breadth of the nation, ending with a two week run at the Edinburgh Festival.

There will also be a Beating the Retreat by The Pipers’ Trail pipes and drums at the North Inch on Thursday at 7pm.

The Pipers’ Trail is a celebration of bagpipe music, Highland drumming and the historic connections through which the Army in Scotland is interweaved with the nation’s culture. It is designed to re-invigorate the Army’s links with Scotland’s communities and show that, despite the pressures of current operations, the Army’s traditionally high standards and values remain intact.

The Pipers’ Trail is the brainchild of Scotland’s top soldier, Brigadier David Allfrey, who commands 51 (Scottish) Brigade.

“The Pipers’ Trail is a chance for us to reach out and have a series of terrific parties across Scotland celebrating our rich cultural tapestry. But it’s also a chance for us to show that, despite the operational pressures of recent times, the Army still seeks to encourage the kind of values that made people think it a fine and honourable thing to be a Scottish Soldier,” Brigadier Allfrey said.