Alisdair McLaren (born 1979) is an Australian bagpiper. He is currently the Pipe Major of the Grade 1

Western Australia Police Pipe Band The Western Australia Police Pipe Band (WAPOL) is an Australian competitive pipe band organization based in Perth, Western Australia associated with the Western Australia Police. History The original Western Australia Police Band was a brass ...

, the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Edindurgh Military Tattoo the former Pipe Major of the Grade One

Glasgow Police Pipe Band Glasgow Police Pipe Band is a grade one pipe band from Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1883 as the Burgh of Govan Police Pipe Band, the band enjoyed its greatest competitive success as the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band. History The band was one o ...

, and the former director of

The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland is a youth pipe band headed by Steven Blake, consisting of over 100 members who teach and perform around the British isles. The band was founded in 2003 as part of the National Piping Centre in Glasgow and f ...

. After moving to

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

from Kalamunda, Australia, in 2007 became a member of the

National Piping Centre The National Piping Centre is an institution in Glasgow, Scotland, dedicated to the playing of the bagpipes, to include not only the Great Highland Bagpipes, but also the Scottish smallpipes and Irish uileann pipes, as well as other traditional ...

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

and in 2011 became the first West-Australian to win the

World Pipe Band Championships The World Pipe Band Championships is a pipe band competition held in Glasgow, Scotland. The World Pipe Band Championships as we currently know them have been staged since 1947 although the Grade 1 Pipe Band Competition winners at the annual Cowal ...

as part of the

Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band is a competitive grade one pipe band from Lisburn, Northern Ireland named in honour of Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of Alamein. The band has won the World Pipe Band Championships 13 times, making it th ...

. Prior to his move to Scotland, McLaren attended

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

and was

pipe major The pipe major is the leading musician of a pipe band, whether military or civilian. Like the appointment of drum major, the position is derived from British Army traditions. During the early twentieth century, the term sergeant piper was used ...

of Trinity College Pipes and Drums until 1997 when he joined the WA Police Pipe Band for 10 years. In late 2019, Alastair was appointed Pipe Major of the Glasgow Police Pipe Band. After a few months, in January 2020, McLaren resigned from the post to return to his native Australia. This meant he also resigned from his position as director of the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland. In May 2020 he was appointed Pipe Major of the Western Australia Police Pipe Band. He resigned in 2022.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mclaren, Alisdair 1979 births Living people Australian emigrants to Scotland Great Highland bagpipe players Musicians from Western Australia People educated at Trinity College, Perth Australian bagpipe players