Willie McCallum
Events
A native of Campbeltown, Willie has won almost every prize in solo piping and most several times over. He received his main tuition from his uncles Ronald and Hugh and also came under the guidance of P/M Ronald McCallum, MBE.
In 2008 he won the overall titles The Metro Cup in New York, The Dr. Dan Reid Memorial in San Francisco, the Lochaber Gathering, and the Springbank Invitational in Campbeltown. In addition he won the Argyllshire Gathering with 1st place in the Former Winners March, Strathspey and Reel for the 5th time. In February 2009 he secured the Metro Cup again and came first in both the March, Strathspey and Reel and Hornpipe and Jig at the Donald MacLeod Memorial in April 2009. He was winner of the Piping Live Masters in 2006 achieving first in both events.
Some of his other successes are listed below:
Gold Medals at Inverness (1989) and Oban (1995)
MSR for Former Winners at Oban (5)
MSR for Former Winners at Inverness (2)
Senior Piobaireachd at Oban (3)
Bratach Gorm at London (3)
Silver Chanter (3)
Donald MacLeod Memorial (7)
He is in high demand as a tutor and recitalist at home and abroad and in recent years, his pupils have gained major prizes at the major piping gatherings at Oban, Inverness, Skye and London.
Willie lives in Bearsden with his wife Christine and children Hailey and Scott and works in Glasgow as an accountant with University of Strathclyde. In addition to this he runs a piping supply business launched in 2007 and is an agent for McCallum Bagpipes.
Willie plays a set of silver mounted Henderson pipes, dated around 1899, with his personally designed McCallum Solo Chanter (McC ²).
Willie is a current member of the Grade 1 Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band, which played for the first time at the 2008 World Pipe Band Championship.