Two Days of Pure Piping & Drumming Bliss - Glengarry Highland Games!
- Malkie Bow
- Aug 3
- 3 min read
Maxville, Ontario never disappoints and 2025 was no exception. Another amazing event organized by the Glengarry Highland Games Committee with the Piping Committee providing a venue for piping and drumming that's second to none.
A beautiful warm day was the setting for this two-day event.
Friday included the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada) Contest which was won by Joe Biggs and the Bar to the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada) which was won by Bruce Gandy. This competition is run by the Glengarry Highland Games Committee and is held at the St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church in the village of Maxville.
Friday also saw a full slate of amateur solo events at the Maxville fairgrounds with Flora Stone taking the amateur piper of the day award and Cameron MacDonald taking the amateur drummer of the day.
On Saturday morning a full slate of professional solo events took place with Ian K. MacDonald taking the professional piper of the day award and Blair Beaton taking the professional drummer of the day title.
A full list of solo results, band results and judges can be found HERE.
We are very pleased to report that Saturday also saw the first juvenile pipe band contest in Ontario for many years with three bands competing: Capital District Youth PB (1st), Glengarry Juvenile Pipe Band (2nd) and Guelph-Peel Juvenile Pipe Band(3rd). We look forward to more juvenile bands emerging in the next few years.
We would also thank the twenty judges that were engaged to adjudicated the various competitions over the two days including two international judges: Richard Parkes MBE and Ian Duncan.
78th Fraser Highlanders keep the uncontested title of North American Pipe Band Champions.
In Grade Two The Ulster Scottish Pipe Band from Philadelphia won the North American Champions title after a hard fought seven band contest with each band having to play twice. Rounding out the top six: City of Dunedin (2nd), Peel Regional Police (3rd), Dartmouth & District (4th), Guelph (5th) and Toronto Police (6th).
In Grade Three, The Commonwealth Pipes & Drums from Massachusetts took the North American Champions title in a tough ten-band contest. The rest of the top six: Greighlan Crossing (2nd), College of Piping (3rd), Vale United (4th), Glengarry (5th) and Roisin Dubh Irish (6th)
Grade Four North American Champions are Rob Roy Pipe Band from Kingston, Ontario after a ten-band contest. The rest of the top six bands: Capital District Youth PB (2nd), Glengarry (3rd), MacEoin-Ramsay (4th), Stuart Highlanders (5th) and Ottawa Caledonian (6th).
Grade Five had a twelve-band contest which saw Durham Regional Police Pipes & Drums take the North American Champions title in that grade. Rounding out the top six bands: London Fire Fighters (2nd), Smiths Falls Gordon (3rd), College of Piping (4th), Peel Regional Police (5th) and Henderson Highlanders (6th).
The enthusiastic crowds in attendance were also treated to an amazing show of flourishing by World Champion Drum Major Emma Barr from Northern Ireland during the massed band ceremonies.
Photos: Nathan Nguyen
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