About
Andy started piping at the age of seven under the tutor Dougie McNichol at Camelon Pipe Band in Falkirk, and moved with him to Linlithgow and District.
Still being young he transferred to the Stirling and District Schools Pipe Band under P.M. Sandy Davidson. With them he travelled to the Millennium Dome in London in 2000.
He also performed at a Scottish festival in Belgium.
He then joined The Royal Burgh of Stirling Pipe Band, where Stuart Cassels was P.M. As a performing No. 1 Band they played all the premier Scottish venues : Gleneagles; Turnberry, Dalmahoy; Edinburgh Castle; Stirling Castle; Scone Palace; Glamis Castle; to name just a few. This band won the best performance prize two years running at Cowal Highland Gathering. Stirling went on to be in subsequent years to be world champions in grade three and four at the world championships in Glasgow. The band played in the Stad. de France in Paris with Shotts and Dykehead pipe band. For a short period Andy was P.M. of the grade 4 band.
Andy then moved to Drambuie Kirkliston under P.M. Ian Duncan. In 2006 they won grade 2 in the worlds.
Following the collapse of Drambuie.
Andy joined Lothian and Borders Police Pipe Band and went to Paris, where they not only played the Scottish rugby team onto the
pitch but played at the Moulin Rouge with the feathered dancing
girls.
Following that, he returned to Stirling as a player in grade 3, and P.M. of grade 4.
Andy was also an occasional player with The Red Hot Chilli Pipers having played on their middle east tour, and was in fact part of the line up that played with the “Darkness” at “T” in the Park.
Andy has also played for the T.A. Highland division band, now called 7th Scots, for the last six years.
He has performed at the Basil Tattoo twice, and last year at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
He was a regular player with the Wallace Clan, travelling with them to China for the Chinese new year festival, and many festivals in Europe. They appeared on “Test the Nation” on August bank holiday.
Andy currently plays with Drew Cauldwell’s “Heedrum Hodrum” concert/ceilidh band.
Andy also does a bit of teaching , with “the piper’s trail”, and has travelled to Europe to set up bands for competitions.
Having recently returned to grade one piping Andy now plays for “The Vale of Athole” and will be travelling to Azerbaijan to perform for their Burns Night celebrations.