A teenage piper from South Uist has taken centre stage at one of the most revered piping events in the country.
Seventeen-year-old Micheal Maclellan, from Cille Pheadair, was the clear standout in the junior section of the prestigious Pipe Major Donald MacLeod Memorial Competition held in Stornoway.
Representing the Sgoil Lionacleit Pipe Band as its Pipe Major, Micheal dominated the field, sweeping four of the top prizes.
He won the Piobaireachd, March, Strathspey and Reel, and Hornpipe and Jig categories, earning him the most wins across both junior and senior events.
Micheal’s calm composure and exceptional talent shone under pressure, impressing judges and audiences alike.
The junior competition was held at the Caladh Hotel the day before the senior event, with piping enthusiasts gathering from all corners of the UK and beyond.
Fellow junior pipers from the Southern Isles also featured prominently in the results.
Mairead Galbraith, Rachael Sinclair, and Calum MacNeil—members of the Castlebay band who recently triumphed at the Scottish Schools Championships—placed highly in their categories.
Padruig Maclean, another rising talent with the Sgoil Lionacleit Pipe Band, also held his own in the competition.
Competitors were invited based on their performances at last year’s Lewis and Harris Piping Society’s junior Western Isles event.
Judges Cameron Drummond and Alasdair Henderson, both of whom played in the senior event, praised the quality on display from the young musicians.
Drummond noted it was a high-pressure situation given the formality of the Donald MacLeod stage, calling it a “big event” for the juniors.
He said although there was a standout competitor, all participants showed impressive skill and musical maturity.
After scooping the top prizes, Micheal called the event “good craic” and credited the strong camaraderie among island pipers.
His mum, Olivia, said she was overwhelmed with pride and could hardly believe his win.
She added the best part of the competition was the friendship and encouragement shared across the young island pipers.
In the senior competition, veteran Angus MacColl claimed victory for a fifth time, his first win coming 25 years ago.
He edged out 2024 champion Alasdair Henderson on aggregate, thanks to a strong showing in the Piobaireachd, which carries extra weight.
Despite not winning all sections, Angus said he was simply happy to get through without any disasters.
The senior judges were Murray Henderson, John Wilson, and Dr Angus MacDonald, with Cailean MacLean as the new Fear an Taighe.
Dr John Smith, chair of the organising Lewis and Harris Piping Society, said both competitions were a great success.
He highlighted the international draw of the event, with fans travelling from Germany, London, and across Scotland.
One such fan, David McAdam, recently moved to Inverness from California and was finally able to attend in person.
He had previously watched the livestream in the middle of the night from the US and said it exceeded all expectations.
For him, the competition’s unique atmosphere—where audiences sing along to a Gaelic Air—makes it unlike anything else in the world.
