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The World Pipe Band Championships is always a highly anticipated event and 2009 is no exception! Learn about the preparations undertaken by some of the key people involved in the 2009 event below.
Lee Beattie
Lee Beattie is a freelance PR & Events specialist who is managing 
the Homecoming Scotland Road To The Worlds tour which will see many of the country's top pipe bands performing across the country to promote the World Pipe Band Championships in August.
2nd – 3rd May 2009 – Murrayfield Magic
30th May 2009 – Homecoming Scottish Cup Final
14th June 2009 - Glasgow, West End Festival
1st August - Maxville, Toronto
Gregor Edmunds
Gregor was born in 1977 and grew up in Carmunnock, Glasgow. He is heavily involved in the organisation of the European Highland Games Heavy Events Championships at the worlds and is a regular participant.
Strength runs through his family line, his father, Douglas was the World Caber Tossing Champion in the 1970’s and was also a founder of The World’s Strongest Man competition. Gregor’s accolades include coming 3rd in the Highlander Challenge World Championships in 2008, winning the World Highland Games Championships in 2007 and being crowned Scotland’s Strongest Man in 2002.
20th May 2009 – Breaking Records in Maryland, USA!
9th July 2009 - Back on home soil...
Euan Whitmore
Euan Whitmore is PM (Pipe Major) of the G4A Stockbridge Pipe Band from Edinburgh. He is 35 and has been piping since he was 12 years old. Originally from Forfar, in 2000 Euan moved to Stockbridge in Edinburgh after graduating from Dundee University. He soon joined and became PM of the the local Stockbridge band - at that time - a non-competing unit of 8 pipers and 5 drummers.
Stockbridge Pipe Band began competing in 2004 at a couple of local competitions; always in G4, never coming last but without any real success. They persisted over the years and began competing at all five Majors in 2006 under the newly introduced MAP system.
In 2008, after two years of building, competing and learning, they won the British, European, World and Cowal Championships in G4B and were promoted to G4A for the 2009 competition season.
3rd July 2009 - The Season So Far
28th July 2009 – Practice Picks Up
August 2009 - Lorient Interceltique Festival, Brittany