Willie McCallum is Scottish Highland

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.

Life

He was born in

Campbeltown Campbeltown (; or ) is a town and former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre Peninsula. Campbeltown became an important centre for Scotch whisky, and a busy fishing port. The 2018 populatio ...

Kintyre Kintyre (, ) is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The peninsula stretches about , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to East Loch Tarbert, Argyll, East and West Loch Tarbert, Argyll, West Loch Tarbert in t ...

. He was mainly taught by his uncles Ronald and Hugh A. McCallum, but also by Ronald 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 ...

. The family is directly related to John MacAlister who won the Prize Pipe at the

Falkirk Tryst Stenhousemuir (; ) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies within the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The town is north-northwest of Falkirk and directly adjoins to Larbert in the west, where the nearest rail access is located. ...

in 1782. As a youngster he heard the top solo pipers in the world through the Kintyre Piping Society, which was revived in the 1970s by his father, also Willie. These piping recitals featured the likes of P/M John D Burgess, Donald MacPherson, P/M Donald MacLeod, Iain MacFadyen, Hugh MacCallum, John MacFadyen, John MacDougall, Duncan MacFadyen, Duncan Johnstone, Angus J MacLellan and John Wilson. Prior to 2010, he worked as an accountant at the

University of Strathclyde The University of Strathclyde () is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal charter in 1964 as the first techn ...

. He now has his own business and acts as a consultant for

McCallum Bagpipes McCallum Bagpipes Limited is a company that manufactures Great Highland bagpipes. Founded in 1998, it is based in Kilmarnock, Scotland. The company has worked with bagpiper Willie McCallum to design several products. History McCallum Bagpipe ...

and Bannatyne Pipe Bag Makers, as well as teaching and adjudicating across the world. McCallum has taken part in a number of overseas piping schools, and in 2016 was appointed lead tutor at the

National Piping Centre The National Piping Centre is an institution in Glasgow, Scotland, dedicated to the playing of the bagpipes, to include not only the Great Highland Bagpipes, but also the Scottish smallpipes and Irish uileann pipes, as well as other tradition ...

for B.Mus.Trad piping degree program offered by the

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (), formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama () is a conservatoire of dance, drama, music, production, and film in Glasgow, Scotland. It is a member of the Federation of Drama Schools. Founde ...

. He lives in

Bearsden Bearsden ( ) is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the northwestern fringe of Greater Glasgow, approximately from the Glasgow city centre, city centre. The Roman Empire, Roman Antonine Wall runs through the town, and the remains of ...

with his wife Christine, with whom he has a daughter and a son.

Career

Willie McCallum has won many top solo piping prizes several times, including: *

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 ...

(4 times - 1991, 1999, 2002, 2011) *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". ...

(1995) *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 ...

(1989) * Glenfiddich Championship (9 times - 1990, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2022) * Former Winners MSR, Northern Meeting (4 times - 2004, 2006, 2009, 2012) * Former Winners MSR, Argyllshire Gathering (5 times - 1990, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2008) * Silver Chanter (3 times - 1994, 1995, 1996) * Metro Cup (3 times - 2008, 2009, 2015) * Donald Macleod Memorial (9 times - 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2015) * Dr Dan Reid Memorial (7 times - 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2008) * Former Winners MSR London (5 times - 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2009) He was notably invited to the Glenfiddich Championships 29 consecutive times between 1988 and 2016. With the ScottishPower Pipe Band he has been runner-up at 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 ...

twice, and in 2008 and 2016 he played with the Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band. He plays inherited bagpipes that he believes to be Hendersons, with a McCallum McC² solo chanter.

Discography

He has recorded three solo albums, and featured in several other compilations. * ''Pipers of Distinction'' - (Monarch, 1989) * ''Hailey's Song'' - (Temple, 1995) * ''World's Greatest Pipers Vol. 14'' - (Lismor 2000)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCallum, Willie Living people Great Highland bagpipe players People from Campbeltown Gold Medal winners (bagpipes) Scottish bagpipe players Year of birth missing (living people)