The Piping Encyclopaedia

GAIR, George
Pipe Major of the 7th Volunteer Battalion, Royal Scots in 1915 when he, four of his pipers and most of the Battalion were killed in the Gretna Green Railway Disaster.

GANDY, Bruce
First taught in Victoria, British Columbia by Hal Senyk in 1970 and then spent 10 years with Jamie Troy.
From 1982 to 1997 he played with the 78th Fraser Highlanders under Bill Livingstone and was part of the band which won the Grade 1 World Championships in 1986.  
He was Piping Instructor at the College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts in Summerside, Prince Edward Island from 1997—2000.
Major prizes
Northern Meeting
Silver Medal 1998
March: 1999
Strathspey & Reel: 1999
Gold Medal: 2002

GARRETT, Davie
Prominent as a piping teacher in the Gairloch and Skye regions of Scotland after serving for many years as a piper in the Royal Scots.
Ran a piping school at Achiltibuie in the 2000s.

GARROWAY, John
From Glasgow and a piper in the Glasgow City Police.
Won the Strathspey & Reel at Inverness in 1952.

GILLANDERS, Robert
Founder of the bagpipe making firm which bore his name.

GILLESPIE, Jonathan
A teacher at Fettes College in Edinburgh.
Winner of a number of prizes including  
Open Piobaireachd at Cowal Gathering, the B Grade March at the Northern Meeting, the Strachan MSR Trophy,  JB Robertson Trophy and the Lewis Beaton Cup for Piobaireachd in London, as well as prizes in the Gold and Silver Medals and A Grade March and Strathspey & Reel at The Argyllshire Gathering.
GILLIES, Alasdair
From Ullapool and first taught by his father Norman (see) at the age of nine.
In  1980 he enlisted in the Queens Own Highlanders as a boy piper with whom he eventually became Pipe Major.
On the amalgamation of the Queens Own and Gordons in 1990 he became Pipe Major of the Highlanders but after being passed over for future promotion to the position of Director of Army Bagpipe Music he accepted the post of Director of Piping with the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, USA which he held until late 2009.
Said by many to be the greatest March player of all time, he has a phenomenal competition record including a world record 11 MSRs at the Northern Meeting.
Major Solo Prizes
Northern Meeting
Clasp 1992
Gold Medal 2004
MSR 1985, 86, 89, 91, 92, 94, 96, 97, 98, 2002, 03
Argyllshire Gathering
Senior Piobaireachd 1992
Gold Medal 1989
MSR 1987, 97
Glenfiddich Championships
Champion 1991, 96, 98
MSR 1985, 96, 98 2002

GILLIES, Arthur 1934-2003
From Kilchrennan in Argyll, although born in Stirling, and respected as one of the foremost exponents of Ceol Mor in the latter part of the 20th Century.
Taught by the Lawries of Oban and Donald MacLean (see) of Lewis and then spent some time discussing Piobaireachd with Archie Kenneth of Stronachullin, then secretary of the Music Committee of the Piobaireachd Society.
Winner of the Gold Medal at Oban in 1975 and the Senior in 1993.

GILLIES, Gilbert  1869-1922
Born in Kilmichael Glassary
Brother of John Gillies (see), pipe major in the Scots Guards.
He was a piper and dancer and although he did not compete as a piper he did serve as an estate piper, among his appointments was that of piper to Campbell of Jura in 1902.

GILLIES, John MacDougall 1855-1925
From a Glendaruel family although he was brought up in Aberdeen where he became a house painter.
Later he became manager of Peter Henderson’s Glasgow bagpipe making shop
He was regarded as one of the Piobaireachd authorities in his day, even more remarkable given his involvement with the beorgeoning pipe band movement.
Appointed pipe major of the  volunteer HLI pipe band in 1891 and was to lead them to five World Pipe Band Championships at the Cowal Highland Gathering.
He was also a top solo piper winning all of the major awards.
Best remembered in the modern era as an exponent of the Cameron school of Piobaireachd but that is an under estimation of a man who was the first truly all-round star of a piping scene, which then included pipe band as well as solo playing.
His greatest pupil was Robert Reid, who also played with him in the 5th HLI.
Major Prizes
Northern Meeting
Prize Pipe 1882
Gold Medal 1885
Clasp 1896
March 1887 (2nd), 1888 (3rd), 1889 (2nd)
Strathspey & Reel 1883 (2nd), 1889 (2nd), 1897 (1st)

GILLIES, John  1873-1944
Born in Glasgow from a Kilmartin family.
Enlisted as a piper in the Scots Guards and was pipe major of the 3rd Battalion from 1903-1906 when the 3rd Battalion was disbanded.
He then became pipe major of the 1st Battalion until 1911 when he left the army.
After leaving the Guards he emigrated to Canada where he became pipe major of the Canadian Seaforths in Vancouver, fighting with them during World War 1.
In 1937 when he was succeeded by one of his pupils, Ed Esson.
His brother Gilbert was also a piper of note (see).

GILLIES, Norman –2007
From Glasgow although lived for some time in Ullapool where he was Wester Ross schools piping instructor.
Pipe major of the 5/6 HLI (later 52nd Lowland Volunteers).
Father of Alasdair Gillies (see).

GILLIES, Roderick J
From South Uist. Was a piper in the Scots Guards and Glasgow Police before serving as Pipe Major of the Cameronians until their disbandment in 1968 when he transferred as Pipe Major to the Royal Scots.

GLEN, John
From Edinburgh
Competed at Edinburgh in 1844.

GORDON, Andrew
Piper to the Earl of Seafield
Major Prizes
Northern Meeting
Strathspeys & Marches 1865 1st
Prize Pipe 1865 1st
Gold Medal 1868 1st

GORDON, George
Served as Pipe Major of the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders from 1905 to 1915.
Served as Pipe Major of the 9th Battalion when he was awarded the Belgian Croix-de-Guerre.
GORDON, Gilbert Stewart
A leading competitor of the mid-1800s who won  2nd place in the 1852 Northern Meeting Prize Pipe when he was piper to Robertson of Foveran.
In 1844 he competed at Edinburgh 1844 but was unplaced; described then as from “Lude, Blair Atholl” and his tune was ‘The Massacre of Glencoe.’

GORDON James A
Champion Highland dancer.
Pipe Major of the 5th/6th Royal Scots during World War 1.

GORDON, John
Won 4th prize at Edinburgh in 1816 when described as ‘from Fincastle’.
In  1818 he won 3rd; 1821 u/p (Piper to the Atholl Club); 1822 u/p; 1823 u/p; 1824; 1825 2nd; 1826 1st.
Also when he competed in the Gold Medal for Former Winners at the 1835 Prize Pipe in Edinburgh (Piper to Mr JP McInroy of Luck).

GORDON, John
Taught by John MacColl.
Piper to Colonel MacDougall of Lunga, 1900-1908 after which he composed the 2/4 ‘Leaving Lunga’ (he was succeeded by Willie Lawrie).
Also said to have composed ‘Bonnie Argyll’ although that has been disputed with a perhaps stronger claim for George Milton who was also piper to MacDougall of Lunga.

GORDON, Nicky
Appointed Pipe Major of the Queens Own Highlanders in 1980.

GORDON, Seton (1886-1977)
Born in Aboyne but spent over 50 years living on the Isle of Skye.
World famous naturalist author who wrote many piping pieces for the major press in Scotland.
Also noted as a judge and an authority on piping.
Brought the terminology ‘Donald Mor Run-Down’ into popularity.
Famous removed from the Argyllshire Gathering’s judging list for writing his disapproval of his fellow judges’ decisions in ‘The Scotsman’.
GRAHAM, Adam
Competed at Edinburgh as pipe major of the Ross-shire Militia - 1811 3rd; 1812 2nd; 1818 u/p; 1820 extra prize.

A-Z OF PIPERS ‘G’ page 1