Pipe bands and drummers will travel from Australia, Switzerland and the United States for the second European Championships to be held in Forres next month.
The 2014 ‘Piping Hot Forres’ event looks set to eclipse the highly successful championships held in the town last year – with the bulk of the 119 bands entered coming from throughout Scotland including locals from the RAF’s 2622 Highland Squadron – who led the Homecoming parade through Elgin earlier this month.
A second RAF band from RAF Lossiemouth has entered along with the Dufftown and District, Forres and District and Elgin District pipe bands.
Current Grade 1 European champions Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band will return to defend the title to won at Grant Park in 2013.
“The inaugural Piping Hot Forres was an unqualified success and as a spectacle was one of the highlights of the summer for the people of Forres and Moray,” the chairman of the Moray Economic Partnership, Councillor John Cowe, said.
He added: “This year the event will again bring a welcome boost to accommodation providers and other businesses in the area – and I’m sure it will be every bit as successful as last year.”
Held on June 28 the championships look set to exceed the 17,000 who attended last year. Advance tickets are going well and can be purchased from Beaver Travel shops in Forres and Elgin, R&R Urquhart’s office in Forres and Nairn or online from Piping Hot Forres.