Stuart Liddell MBE (born 12 January 1973) is a

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

bagpipe Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, No ...

player, playing

Great Highland bagpipe The great Highland bagpipe ( 'the great pipe') is a type of bagpipe native to Scotland, and the Scottish analogue to the great Irish warpipes. It has acquired widespread recognition through its usage in the British Armed Forces, British mili ...

. As well as competing in solo competitions, he is the

Pipe major The pipe major is the leading musician of a pipe band, whether military or civilian. Like the appointment of drum major, the position is derived from British Army traditions. During the early twentieth century, the term sergeant piper was used ...

of the Inveraray and District Pipe Band.

Early life

He was born in

Oban Oban ( ; meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William, Highland, Fort William. During the tourist seaso ...

on 12 January 1973 and spent his early years in Inveroran, near

Bridge of Orchy Bridge of Orchy () is a village in Glen Orchy in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is named after the crossing over the River Orchy, which was constructed by British Army during the pacification of the Highland Clans following the Battle of Cullod ...

. His father Billy was an accomplished musician, as is his mother Agnes, and his grandfather was Ronnie McCallum, piper to the

Duke of Argyll Duke of Argyll () is a title created in the peerage of Scotland in 1701 and in the peerage of the United Kingdom in 1892. The earls, marquesses, and dukes of Argyll were for several centuries among the most powerful noble families in Scotlan ...

and a prominent piping tutor. At the age of four the family moved to

Moffat Moffat is a burgh and parish in Dumfriesshire. Part of the Dumfries and Galloway local authority area in Scotland, it lies on the River Annan, with a population of around 2,500. It was a centre of the wool trade and a spa town. Moffat is arou ...

in Dumfriesshire where Stuart went to school. The family moved to

Inveraray Inveraray ( or ; meaning "mouth of the Aray") is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Located on the western shore of Loch Fyne, near its head, Inveraray is a former royal burgh and known affectionately as "The Capital of Argyll." It is the ...

, his mother's home town, in 1983.

Band history

For ten years (1998–2008), he played with the

Simon Fraser University Pipe Band The Simon Fraser University Pipe Band is a grade one pipe band affiliated with Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. It is led by pipe major Alan Bevan and leading drummer J. Reid Maxwell. History The Simon Fraser Univer ...

Burnaby Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula, it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard In ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

. With the SFU Pipe band he won three World Pipe Band Championship titles, in 1999, 2001, and 2008. Before joining the SFU Pipe Band, he played with ScottishPower Pipe Band. Liddell lives in

and is

of the Grade 1

Inveraray & District Pipe Band Inveraray and District Pipe Band is a Grade 1 pipe band based in Inveraray, Scotland. History Stuart Liddell, a native of Argyll and one of the world's top solo players began coaching youngsters at Inveraray Primary School in 2003, and register ...

, which he founded in 2003. Stuart Liddell has won the

World Pipe Band Championships The World Pipe Band Championships is a pipe band competition held in Glasgow, Scotland. Overview The World Pipe Band Championships have been staged since 1947, although the Grade 1 Pipe Band Competition winners at the annual Cowal Highland Gat ...

as Pipe major of

in 2017, 2019, and 2024.

Solo Prizes

Liddell has won many of the top awards in solo piping, including the Gold Medal at the

Argyllshire Gathering The Argyllshire Gathering is a Highland games held in Oban, Scotland. History A meeting on 23 August 1871 held at the Argyll Arms Hotel led to a resolution to have an "Annual Gathering of the Gentry of the County of Argyll for social purposes". ...

(2000), the Gold Medal at the

Northern Meeting The Northern Meeting is a gathering held in Inverness, Scotland, best known for its solo bagpiping competition in September. History The Northern Meeting was set up in 1798 "for the purpose of promoting a Social Intercourse", and early editions f ...

(2004), the former winner's Clasp at the Northern Meeting (2007 & 2009), the

Bratach Gorm The Bratach Gorm (or Blue Banner) is the highest prize given by the Scottish Piping Society of London and was introduced in 1938. History In 1994 the competition pool was further reduced in protest at the selection of judges. The competition has ...

at the Scottish Piping Society of London (2009) and He has won the Glenfiddich Piping Championship three times: 2009, 2014 and 2020. In 2023, Liddell was made a

Member of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(MBE) in King Charles III’s first New Year’s Honours. He is known for his fast playing and innovative arrangements of piping standards.

Recordings

In 2007, Liddell released his first solo recording, ''Inveroran''. He has also appeared on several recordings of

, with solo tracks on many discs, including: * 1997 Piping Centre Recital Series Vol.2 * Scottish Power Pipe Band – Tartan Weave * Simon Fraser University Pipe Band – Live at Carnegie Hall * Simon Fraser University Pipe Band - Down Under * Awesome Pipers - 2004 * Simon Fraser University Pipe Band – On Home Ground * Inveroran

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liddell, Stuart Great Highland bagpipe players People from Oban Living people Gold Medal winners (bagpipes) Scottish bagpipe players 1973 births Members_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire