The Glenfiddich Piping and Fiddle Championships are musical competitions for the bagpipes and fiddle. Both competitions take place annually in late autumn, at the ballroom of Blair Castle at Blair Atholl in Perthshire, Scotland. Entry to each championship is by invitation only, to those who have won various recognised major UK solo competitions held throughout the year.
The Glenfiddich Piping Championship
The Glenfiddich Piping Championship was established in 1974 to inspire and stimulate individual pipers, and to seek the best overall exponents of the Ceòl Mór or piobaireachd (the great music) and Ceòl Beag (the little music).
The championship was founded and continues to be run by William Grant & Sons., distillers of Glenfiddich and other whiskies.
Ten of the leading pipers in the world, all of whom will have won important awards since the previous October, are invited. Each of them submits a list of six piobaireachd, and is required to play one of them. They also submit lists of six marches, strathspeys and reels, and play one of each, twice through.
There are prizes in each discipline, and an overall championship prize.
2012 Championship
The Glenfiddich Piping Championship 2012 was won by Iain Speirs of Edinburgh.
Other 2012 finalists included returning champion Roddy MacLeod M.B.E. of Glasgow, Callum Beaumont of Bo'ness, Murray Henderson from Kirriemuir, Finlay Johnston from Glasgow, William McCallum from Bearsden, Stuart Liddell of Inveraray, Euan MacCrimmon of Isle of Skye, Gordon Walker of Ayr and Canadian-based piper Jack Lee from Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver.
Previous championships
Previous Glenfiddich Piping Championship Winners from the last 49 years:
2022 Willie McCallum, Bearsden - 9th Win, Willie McCallum sets record 11th MSR win 2021 Jack Lee, Canada - 3rd Win, Willie McCallum 10th MSR win 2020 Stuart Liddell, Inveraray- 3rd Win, Willie McCallum 9th MSR win 2019 Finlay Johnston - 2nd Win 2018 Finlay Johnston 2017 Jack Lee, Canada - 2nd Win 2016 Roddy MacLeod, Glasgow - 5th Win, record-breaking 10th Piobaireachd win, Willie McCallum 8th MSR win 2015 Angus MacColl, Benderloch - 4th Win 2014 Stuart Liddell, Inveraray- 2nd Win 2013 Iain Speirs, Edinburgh - 2nd Win 2012 Iain Speirs, Edinburgh 2011 Roddy MacLeod, Glasgow - 4th Win 2010 Angus MacColl, Benderloch - 3rd Win 2009 Stuart Liddell, Inveraray 2008 Gordon Walker, Galston - 2nd Win 2007 Gordon Walker, Galston 2006 Angus MacColl, Benderloch - 2nd Win 2005 Willie McCallum, Bearsden - 8th Win (Willie McCallum wins both individual events) 2004 Willie McCallum, Bearsden - 7th Win (Willie McCallum wins both individual events) 2003 Jack Lee, Canada - 1st piper from North America to win 2002 Roderick J. MacLeod, Cumbernauld - 3rd Win 2001 Willie McCallum, Bearsden - 6th Win 2000 Willie McCallum, Bearsden - 5th Win 1999 Willie McCallum, Bearsden - 4th Win 1998 PM Alasdair Gillies, Pittsburgh - 3rd Win 1997 Roderick J. MacLeod, Cumbernauld - 2nd Win 1996 PM Alasdair Gillies, Pittsburgh - 2nd Win 1995 Angus MacColl, Oban 1994 Willie McCallum, Glasgow - 3rd Win 1993 Willie McCallum, Glasgow - 2nd Win 1992 Roderick J. MacLeod, Cumbernauld 1991 PS Alasdair Gillies, Queen's Own Highlanders 1990 Willie McCallum, Glasgow 1989 Murray Henderson - 4th Win (Murray Henderson wins both individual events) 1988 P/M Gavin Stoddart - 2nd Win 1987 Murray Henderson - 3rd Win 1986 Iain MacFadyen - 4th Win 1985 Murray Henderson - 2nd Win 1984 Iain MacFadyen - 3rd Win 1983 P/M Gavin Stoddart (P/M Gavin Stoddart wins both individual events) 1982 P/M Angus MacDonald - 2nd Win (P/M Angus MacDonald wins both individual events) 1981 Iain MacFadyen - 2nd Win 1980 P/M Iain Morrison 1979 Murray Henderson 1978 Hugh MacCallum 1977 Iain MacFadyen 1976 P/M Angus MacDonald 1975 P/M John D. Burgess 1974 James McIntosh
The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship
The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship was added in 1989 to the existing Glenfiddich Piping Championships – to reward, encourage and perpetuate the art of fiddle playing throughout the world.
Eight finalists are hand selected to compete following successes throughout the year, with each finalist giving a recital incorporating all the various styles of composition including a set of tunes by a specific composer – a new composer is chosen annually.
2015 Championship
The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship 2015 was won by George Davidson of Tarves in Aberdeenshire. Second place went to Maggie Adamson of Fladdabister, Shetland, and third place went to Mari Black of Boston, Massachusetts, USA.