Enjoy Your Piping! With Gary West

Send us Fan Mail Gary brings you up to date with what's happening out and about in the piping world in the weeks ahead, with great music to match. Playlist Breabach with Gig Face from Bann Bleary and District with Mrs Mary Anderson of Lochranza, The Curlew, Haitian Sensation, Biddy for Sligo, I Hear thy Welcome Voice, Lady MacKenzie of Gairloch, AA Cameron’s Strathspey, Lexy MacAskill, Tom Bo...

Send us Fan Mail More great pipe music from artists past and present, while Gary also announces the winner of the RG Hardie Heritage Viking practice chanter. Playlist The Scott Wood Band with Spice of Life from Upsurge William Morrison with The Blue Cuckoo, Kenneth MacDonald and Donnie MacGregor from Pipers of Distinction Series Dolphin Boy with Ghetto Pipe from The Highland Swing   Stuart Liddell...

Send us Fan Mail Gary brings you more great bagpipe music and discusses the future of the broadcasting of the world pipe band championships. Playlist Daimh with Locheil’s Awa tae France, MacIsaac’s Reel and De bha Sibh Ris, a Chaluim Mhoir? From The Hebridean Sessions   Ben Duncan with Rathven Market, Brae Riach, the Kitchen Maid and John Paterson’s Mare    from the Inverness Piping Society Recita...

Send us Fan Mail Gary welcomes R G Hardie's Alistair and Isla to the bothy to catch up on news from the bagpipe factory, and look out for the chance to win a brand new Heritage Viking practice chanter. And there's more great music from the world of bagpipe, of course! Playlist Shotts and Dykehead with Carradale Bay, Arnish Light, Clueless, Philip Greer’s Big Week and Bessie McIntyre from...

Send us Fan Mail Gary completes his main coverage of this year's Raasay Restitution Competition 2026  with another full programme of highlights from Raasay House. Playlist Angus Nicolson with Nach Dannsa a’Mhinistear?, Jimmy Ward, Scare o Tatties and Nighean a Cailleach from the Raasay Restitution Contest 2026, EYP Recording Rachel Gray with Mairi Bhan a Bhanaroch (Lady MacKenzie of Gairloch)...

Send us Fan Mail Gary brings you more highlights from this year's Raasay Restitution contest, and bids farewell to two giants of the piping scenes of Scotland and Ireland. Playlist Ciar Milne with The Road to Callanish (Jonathan Corum), The Tailor’s Wedding and Piobaireachd Dhomhnaill Duibh from the Raasay Restitution Contest 2026, EYP Recording Ciar Milne with Margaret Mary Findlay’s (Ciar M...

Send us Fan Mail Join Gary as he invites you to the beautiful Isle of Raasay to take in the first instalment of highlights from this year's piobaireachd song and dance music contest which was held there on the 5th of September. Playlist Angus Nicolson with Togail a’Bhuntata, Keep the Country Bonnie Lass, Willie Macfarlane’s, Chuckie MacLennan’s and the Cape Breton Fiddlers’ Welcome to Shetlan...

Send us Fan Mail It's piobaireachd all the way this week as Gary brings you the four full performances from this year's Captain John gathering at the Caledonian Hotel, Edinburgh. Playlist Craig Sutherland with For My Lass, Fair, Pretty and Highand from Capt John A MacLellan MBE Piobaireachd Recital and Dinner, EYP Recording, August 2026.   Callum Beaumont with Salute to the Succession fr...

Send us Fan Mail More great music from the world of bagpipes, hosted by Gary West. Playlist The Angus Nicholson Trio with The Primrose Lass from Sealladh Ard Billy Pigg with Archie’s Fancy and Holy Ha’penny from Northumberland Rant   Cillian Vallely with the Bull’s March set from the Raven’s Rock   The Scottish Power Pipe Band with P/S John Barclay and Rab’s Wedding from Cathcart   The Old Blind D...

Send us Fan Mail Gary reflects on this year's Piping Live and the World Pipe Band Championships, while bringing you more great music from the world of bagpipes. Playlist Fras with Jonny O’Sullivan’s, the Youngest Daughter and West Mabou Reel from Dile   Simon Fraser University Pipe Band with Tom Wilson, Miss Sharon Duthart, The Hag at the Churn, Scatter the Mud, Oor Ain Fireside, MacBeth’s St...

Send us Fan Mail Gary hosts a panel of experts at this year's Piping Live festival at the EYP Listening Party - this year's classic album is the Vale of Atholl's Live 'n Well concert in Motherwell from 1995.  Playlist MacNaughton’s Vale of Atholl with Il Paco Grande from Live ‘n Well: the Motherwell Concert MacNaughton’s Vale of Atholl with Showacho, Kenneth MacDonald’s Jig and...

Send us Fan Mail Join Gary as he brings you a few sets from Pipe Major Ben Duncan recorded in recital at the Inverness Piping Society in February 2026. And there's another wee taster of what's in store at Piping Live next week. Playlist Calum Stewart with The Snipe from True North   Pipe Major Ben Duncan  with  the Trees of North Uist, Eleanor and Monte Catarelto  recorded at the  Invern...

Send us Fan Mail Join Gary as he features music from some of the artists who will be appearing at this year's Piping Live Festival in Glasgow in August. Playlist Calum MacAskill with Heights from Faith Murray Henderson with the Stirlingshire Militia and Inverlochy Castle from The World’s Greatest Pipers Volume 4. Ailis Sutherland with Bruadar Dheirdre from the Raasay Restitution Contest 2025,...

Send us Fan Mail Gary returns with more quality bagpipe music from around the globe. Playlist Alasdair Whyte with Raspberry Strathspey from An Iuchair   Cameron MacDougall with Leaving Glenurquhart, Neil Sutherland of Lairg and Sandy Cameron from the MacLean Macleod Piping Championships, USA, 2026, private recording.   Battlefield Band with Wee Michael’s March and Oot B’est Da Vong from Happy Daze...

Send us Fan Mail Gary brings you the winning performances from this year's MacLean MacLeod Memorial Championships hosted by the United States Piping Foundation in Maryland in June 2026. Playlist Derek Midgely with Major Manson at Clachantrushal, Mrs. Donald MacPherson and Neil Angus MacDonaldfrom the MacLean Macleod Piping Championships, USA, 2026, private recording. Bruce Gandy with P/M Kare...

Send us Fan Mail Gary reports in from Oberlin College, Ohio, to bring you more great music, ancient and modern, from the bagpipes - and saxophone! Playlist Davy Spillane with Atlantic Bridge from Atlantic Bridge  Strathclyde Police Pipe Band with Selection: The Detroit Highlanders, Loch Loskin, Mac-an-Irish, Barney's Balmoral, Willie Roy's Loomhouse, Morag Duncan, The Gold Ring, The Humo...

Send us Fan Mail Gary pays a visit to the Gaelic college on the Isle of Skye, Sabhal Mor Ostaig, to hear about its music degree course and to explore an amazing online archive. Playlist Back of the Moon with Mrs Maclean from Fortune’s Road   Decker Forrest with The Piper’s Controversy and John MacDonald’s Exercise from Binneas Ostaig  Staff and Students of Gaidhlig agus Ceol Traidiseanta at Sabhal...

Send us Fan Mail Gary brings you the final performance from the Maket Collective Recital and chats to Professor Hugh Cheape, one of the great historians of the bagpipe. Playlist Lorne MacDougall with Trip to Aviles, Atlantic Bridge, The Sound of Sleat, Atlantic Bridge from Hello World! Sarah Muir with John Campbell, Captain H B H E Munro and Farewell to Halkirk from the Maket Collective Recital, N...

Send us Fan Mail Join Gary as he pays another visit to the Maket Collective Recital from the National Piping Centre. Playlist The Nexus Project (Bede Patterson) with Prelude from Glaisvair Eala McElhinney with The Festival March  from the Maket Collective Recital, National Piping Centre, April 2026, recordings courtesy of Trad tv (an Inner Ear Brand) Eala McElhinney  with Out of the Ocean, John Ma...

Send us Fan Mail Highlights from the first Maket Collective Recital held at the National Piping Centre in April 2026, featuring sets from Anna Kummerlow and Hazel Whyte. Playlist The Tannahill Weavers with Orach from Orach Anna Kummerlow with Alan Dodd's Farewell to Scotland, Monymusk and Fiona MacLeod from the Maket Collective Recital, National Piping Centre, April 2026, recordings courtesy...

Send us Fan Mail More great music from the bagpipe traditions of Scotland and beyond. Playlist  Calum Stewart with Frost and Snow from True North   Sarah Muir – Medley from Wheel of Fortune 2026   Duncan Johnstone, Thunderhead, Richard’s Cup of Tea, Hiri Horo Mo Nighneag, Tomnavuirich, the Racoon, Dr Alasdair MacKenzie, Clueless and Wing Commander Donald MacKenzie.   Dick Gaughan with Freedom Come...

Send us Fan Mail Gary returns from a wee break with some excellent sets from Dougie Murray in recital in Broughty Ferry hosted by the MacKenzie Caledonian Pipe Band. There's also a visit to chat with Alastair and Isla from our sponsors, RG Hardie Bagpipes. Playlist Assynt with Assynt House from Where from Here? Dougie Murray with The Garb of Old Gaul, Battle of Waterloo and Wee Highland Laddi...

Send us Fan Mail Gary brings you more highlights from the Wheel of Fortune contest organised by the City of Edinburgh Pipe Band, while also introducing you to two brand new singles from young stars of the fusion piping world. Playlist Ross Miller with Paddy’s Leather Breeches, Would the Minister Not Dance and El Retiro Park from Would Paddy Not Dance? (single) Sarah Muir with Duncan MacColl, Lady...

Send us Fan Mail  It's Wheel of Fortune time again, recorded at Danderhall Miners' Club in Midlothian. Tune in for some of the highlights with more to follow next week. Playlist Bradley Parker with Mrs Duncan MacFadyen, Susan MacLeod and Alex C MacGregor from The Wheel of Fortune 2026, EYP Recording Bradley Parker with P/M George Allan, The Rakes of Kildare, Donella Beaton, Tommy Tully’s...

Send us Fan Mail More music of the bagpipes, both traditional and modern, from the Voice of Piping. Playlist Trail West with Anne MacKechnie’s, Willie Bucach MacLeod of Stornoway and Dashing White Eejit from Rescattermastered William Morrison with Traditional Strathspey, MacPhedran’s Strathspey, O’er the Moor and Among the Heather, Traditional, Brahan Castle, Miss Janet Jeffray, Fermoy’s Lass and...