The 50th Glenfiddich Piping Championship took place at Blair Castle, Blair Atholl, Perthshire on Saturday 28 October 2023, marking half a century of continuous support by William Grant & Sons for this elite cultural event.

Founded by William Grant & Sons in 1974, the invitational competition features the world’s ten best solo competitive pipers, each of whom earns their place through success at various qualifying open competitions during the preceding 12 months. It aims to inspire the world’s finest individual performers on the Great Highland Bagpipe and to celebrate the best overall exponents of both ceòl mòr or piobaireachd (the great music) and ceòl beag or light music (the little music). The event is held annually at Blair Castle.

‘The Glenfiddich’, as the event has come to be known, is acknowledged globally as the best of the best. To be Glenfiddich Champion is the pinnacle of achievement in a solo piper’s career.

Seventeen pipers had held that coveted title prior to 2023’s competition when the 50th edition saw an eighteenth name added to the trophy: Scotland’s Callum Beaumont taking his first win.

These days, the event is co-ordinated with the assistance of Scotland’s National Piping Centre, and since 2014 financial support has come through the William Grant Foundation, under its Scottish Culture and Heritage theme.

The Foundation remains committed to supporting a thriving cultural scene in Scotland inspired by the country’s rich heritage. Piping continues to be a key focus for us under this theme and our support now extends to programmes of piping and drumming tuition in schools as well as Glasgow’s Piping Live! festival and other solo piping competitions.

Read more about our Scottish Culture and Heritage grant-making.

For more on the Glenfiddich Piping Championship, see the National Piping Centre’s website.

The 2024 edition of the event will take place on Saturday 26th October 2024.