Tweedvale Pipe Band travelled west before the crack of dawn last Saturday 30 August to participate in the last major pipe band championships of the year at the Cowal Highland Gathering, the self-styled “biggest highland games in the world”. An even earlier departure time than last year was necessary due to the band playing at 9.45am, thus making an early ferry a necessity to allow the band enough time to prepare. Everything went like clockwork on the journey through to the ferry, so much so that Tweedvale managed to get a ferry 40 minutes ahead of schedule and ended up in the bus park before the gates to Dunoon Stadium were even open!! This put the band in a relaxed frame of mind and gave the band plenty of time to set up. Though the weather was overcast all through the day, this was no hindrance to Tweedvale as they marched into the contest circle to perform their Medley set in front of the judges. After a long day spent sampling the atmosphere of the Cowal Gathering, the band finally marched back onto the field to take part in the massed bands and prize-giving ceremony. Tweedvale was placed tenth of the 14 competing bands in the Grade 3B contest at Cowal, which was won by the Concord Pipe Band from Holland. After the prize-giving ceremony Tweedvale participated in the traditional march down Argyll Street from the Stadium to the ferry terminal before departing Dunoon as fireworks lit up the darkening sky. Tweedvale Pipe Band's attendance at the Cowal Championships was made possible by generous coach sponsorship from Brown Brothers Ltd, Peebles to whom the band extends its grateful thanks.

Speaking about the Cowal result, Tweedvale’s Pipe Major Bruce Gillie said, “We played reasonably well at Cowal but we are still leaving our best performances in the tuning up park and not putting them in front of the judges. This is something we'll need to work on as it's been happening consistently over this season. I know the band is capable of playing really well on occasion, we just have to learn to do it at the appropriate time every contest day. I'd like to thank the band members and the supporters for all their efforts this season. The band is definitely heading in the right direction. I'd also like to thank Brown Brothers for their sponsorship of our coach to Dunoon.”

Tweedvale Pipe Band now has a free weekend in which to regroup before participating in their final contest of the year at Peebles on September 14. The band will be participating in the Grade 3 and Grade 2 contests at Peebles. Tweedvale Pipe Band is drawn to play 7th out of 16 bands in Grade 3 and last out of 9 bands in Grade 2, with the band taking to the Grade 3 circle at approximately 2.15pm and the Grade 2 performance following on an hour later. In both contests, bands have been asked to play medley selections. Tweedvale will be working especially hard to do well at the Peebles contest as the band is currently top of the RSPBA Lothian and Borders Branch Champion of Champions table and a good placing at Peebles would see the band retain this title in their second year as a Grade 3 band.