Forget the cliches, pipe bands are 'cool': thousands gather in Glasgow for annual Worlds competition

While there are kilts in abundance, competitors are young and old, male and female, and from more than a dozen countries around the world.

The international mix is reflected in the Glasgow-based Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band, which was set up as a project to bring together top pipers and drummers, including from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and America.

Jim Kilpatrick, leading drummer with the Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band, said: “I think it’s cool now to play in a pipe band. When I first started 50 years ago it wasn’t like that – but now it is well promoted and a lot of schools have pipe bands.

“A lot of the kids want to join the school pipe band and then they travel over the world. There are hundreds of learners now from primary and secondary schools and lots of good professional full-time teachers.”

Heather Purvis was one of numerous female competitors at the championships. She had travelled from Winnipeg, Canada with her mum and dad to take part in the competition with St Andrews Pipe Band.

Purvis, who has been playing the bagpipes since she was eight, has been visiting Scotland for the Worlds since 1982.

She said: “My dad learned to play when he retired and there was always a chanter lying about the house. I think for Canadians, we want a piece of the heritage, so we grasp onto the music.

“There is a lot of Scots that have come directly from Scotland and settled in Winnipeg for whatever reason. The music ties everybody all together.”

But when it comes to “the Worlds”, there is little doubt the competition is fierce. As well competing in the arena, bands huddled under trees or gathered in random spots to get some last-minute practice in.

Several different grades of pipe band compete – ranging from Grade 1, the highest standard of players, through to Grade 4B, with separate categories for juvenile bands.

A large crowd gathered at the Nelson Monument, where the names of bands which had qualified for the finals were being announced on a screen.

Unfortunately the Marlacoo & District Pipe Band, from Northern Ireland, had just found out they had not got through. Piper Davy Harrison, who was somewhat despondent at the news, said: “This is the highlight of the piping year. Everybody wants to come to the Worlds and do their best.

“Sometimes you get good results, sometimes you don’t.”

Paul and Karen Hawkins, from Hertfordshire, were waiting to find out how if their 19-year-old son Alexander had made the finals with the University of Bedfordshire Pipe Band.

The couple have been attending the event for the past six years to support him – but said they had no idea what had sparked their son’s interest in piping.

“I honestly don’t know and if you ask him, he doesn’t know either,” Paul Hawkins said. “He started when he was 13 or 14 and had never played an instrument before in his life – but he absolutely loves the pipes.”

Ashleigh Bayless, from Glasgow, had taken her three children along to watch relations from Germany who were in the competition.

“We have been quite a few times – it is good fun and the kids enjoy it,” she said.

“I don’t think you realise how international it is until you hear all the different accents and see all the different bands.”

The popularity of the pipes and drums extends to some unusual countries. Philip Daelman, was among a group of members of the Pepingen Pipe Band from Belgium, who had come to spectate.

He said: “The band started after some people were interested in playing the bagpipes individually.

“Little by little more people joined and we are about 15 musicians.

"But it takes time to build it up and improve - maybe in five years we will come back and compete.”

Daelman said there were only around 10 or 12 pipe bands in Belgium, and some were participating in the Worlds competition.

He added: “For me it is the first time here. It is a great event – it is the mecca for pipe bands.”