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Documentary Evidence Of Shotts Success

Over the years, many people have asked the question 'Who is the most Successful Pipe Band?'. Despite being quoted some years ago in the Guinness Book Of World Records as being so, many sceptics have questioned this, Well is it a fact or a myth?, will we ever know. Well thanks to Sam Gibson of Long Beach California, we are well on the way to clearing up this age old question, Sam, an ‘exiled Shottsonian’ as he calls himself, has painstakingly, over many years, compiled a register of Grade 1 Pipe Band results and has sent this register to us. Where his findings are by no means complete, they certainly point in the direction of Shotts being the most successful Pipe Band ever, the results speak for them self. Click here... to see the results. If you have any results that can be added to these, please email them to us and we will forward them on to Sam to update this amazing piece of information.

 

Thanks Sam...

In The Beginning...

Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band was formed in 1910 under the leadership of Pipe Major Dugald MacFarlane, under very humble circumstances indeed. The band practiced in the kitchen of his home, a room and kitchen in a miner’s row known as a ‘But and Ben’. So conscientious were they that within four years, by hard work and perseverance, they purchased their first uniform of McKenzie tartan and from then on entered for every competition available but without success. The turning point came in 1929 when Pipe Major Tom McAllister (snr) took charge, and they went from one success to another to win the Grade 2 championship in 1935. Upgraded to Grade 1 in 1936, they won on their very first appearance the British Championship...