The Vale of Atholl Pipe Band is a Scottish pipe band organisation based in Perthshire, Scotland. It comprises two competitive pipe bands that compete in the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association's competitions each year. The bands compete in Grades 3 and 4. Since the late 1980s until 2018 it also had a Grade 1 band.

History

The organisation was founded in 1906 as the Vale of Atholl Pipers Association, with the

Marquess of Tullibardine Duke of Atholl, named for Atholl in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland held by the head of Clan Murray. It was created by Queen Anne in 1703 for John Murray, 2nd Marquess of Atholl, with a special remainder to the heir male of ...

as patron and led by pipe major Mitchell Pirnie. The band started in competing in competition in 1931 under the leadership of Robert Pirnie, and played at the

Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II The coronation of Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. She acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, being proclaimed queen by her privy and executive ...

in 1953. Ian Duncan, brother of Gordon Duncan, joined the band in 1965 and took over as Pipe Major in 1973. The band first entered competitions organised by the

Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA) is an association aiming to oversee pipe band competition, and to promote and encourage the development of pipe band culture worldwidepipe band competition, and to promote and encourage the develo ...

in 1977, starting in Grade 4, but by 1983 the band had been promoted to Grade 1. The band came second in the Champion of Champions table during the 1980s, and won the European and British Championship titles in 1988 and 1989 respectively. In 1993, the band reached a sponsorship agreement with Macnaughtons of Pitlochry, and changed its tartan from traditional Murray of Atholl tartan to the Muted Macnaughton. For much of this period, the organisation had a feeder system of youngsters who competed in the Novice Juvenile and Juvenile grades. Andy Renwick succeeded Ian Duncan as Pipe Major of the Grade 1 band at the end of 2000, and in 2002 sponsorship was secured with

Robert Wiseman Dairies The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

. Adrian Cramb took over the role of Pipe Major in 2008. Alastair McNab took over the role of Lead Drummer in 2013, replacing Crawford Allan. By this time the organisation's Novice Juvenile and Juvenile bands were ended and replaced with Grade 3 and Grade 4 bands.

Pipe Majors

*''Mitchell Pirnie'' (1906–?) *''Robert Pirnie'' (?) *''Allan Cameron'' (?–1973) *''Ian Duncan'' (1973–2000) *''Andy Renwick'' (2000–2008) *''Adrian Cramb'' (2008–2018) *''Scott Oliphant, Angus Clarke, Graham Mulholland and Ross McNaughton have all been Pipe Majors of the Grades 3 and 4 bands. In 2019/20 Mark Stewart and Gary Nimmo were appointed Pipe Majors of these respective bands.''

Discography

* ''Cam ye By Atholl'' (1982) * ''Both Sides of The Tracks'' (1985) * ''Salutations'' (1988) * ''No Reservations'' (1989) * ''Live 'n Well: The Motherwell Concert'' (1995) * ''Live from Frankfurt, Germany'' (2005) * ''Back to The Future'' (2006)

References

{{Authority control Musical groups established in 1906 Grade 1 pipe bands Scottish pipe bands 1906 establishments in Scotland