Despite being one in the morning there was a distinct air of anticipation among the people boarding the Silver choice coach at Station road. For many the early start signalled the start of hopefully another fantastic weekend like they had last year (well without the rain perhaps). For others it was the first step towards something they had heard so much about throughout the year. Could it possibly be as good as people had made out? Eight hours later, after a little bit of a bouncing around on the good old Clamac Clansman, we were disembarking at Tiree. Then it was straight to the welcoming arms of Laura and her marvellous staff at the Scarinish Hotel for tea and biscuits. With no formal band performances folk had the day to themselves.
In stark contrast to last year the sun was shinning and the wind was a light breeze so people set out on foot or bicycle (or even motor bike – Graham having brought his shiny red 1000cc Triumph Tiger over, only for Laura to immediately christen it ‘the Scooter’) to explore the Island. Tiree’s fabulous beaches were looking spectacular and the wind surfers were out in force skimming over the water at speeds it looked like even Graham would struggle to match on his motorbike. Five O’clock saw the band muster for a practice on the beach in front of the hotel. It doesn’t get much better than standing piping (or drumming) with the gentle lapping of the waves for accompaniment and looking out across the sea to the gentle hills of Mull. As usual dinner at the Scarinish was excellent and afterwards Duncan, Gordon, Kenny and Scott from the Tiree Pipe Band arrived with their accordions and the festivities began. The accordionist played the pipers and drummers played and everybody sang (from the newly expanded Strathaven PB songbook Nick named the hymn book) and allegedly some people even took strong drink despite the stand-in PM for the trip (Chris Mackenzie) expressly forbidding it!
8.30am Saturday morning and Ollie is playing reveille to stir everyone out of their pit. After a hearty breakfast, another good day sees people take of to the parts of the island they didn’t see yesterday. The band gather at 2.30 and play up the road to the care home. There were one or two quizzical looks from the cars that pulled over to let the band by and quite a few followed us and stopped to listen and the home. After the performance the band enjoyed very generous hospitality. A number of the band left the home a good few pounds heavier than when they went in and one or two seemed to find the road was moving a good deal more underfoot than it did on the way up! Luckily there was a time for a kip and dinner at the hotel before heading off to the main event of the weekend a Ceilidh at the island hall.
The band got there early and after tuning up settled back to enjoy the ceilidh. The band this year are Tiree’s very own Skerryvore a band who are to Scottish country dance music what Ozzy Osbourne is to Morris Dancing. From the outset it was obvious this was going to be one hell of night. Four sets in and the dance floor resembles a fight scene from Braveheart. Bodies are flying in all directions yet everyone knows what they are doing and injury is (for the large part) avoided. The band are getting in too the thick of it and have just finished a turbo charged strip the willow and are in need of oxygen when Skerryvore announce they are taking a break and the pipe bands will play. Fortunately Tiree are playing first so Strathaven have time to go and get their instruments and line up ready to play. A couple of great sets from Tiree then Strathaven are up and the performance seems to go well. For the finale Tiree join Strathaven and the two bands play together. After that it was back to the dancing and for some reason the Strathaven contingent seemed to take like a duck to water to that legalised GBH the Tiree folk call the Hooligans Jig. A twenty five (yep twenty five minutes) of Orcadian strip the willow saw everyone in the hall too beat for anymore and it was time (hey it was only 2.30am) to head back to the hotel. Some fools then continued to party until nearly dawn a fact they soon regretted when Ian did the reveille at 9am.
Sunday was a bit of a slower day and indeed the fact that it rained didn’t bother too many people, with the notable exception of David ‘Dusty’ Miller and family who had planned to spend the day at Balepheterish beach and had to be brought back. Local Hero on the DVD in the top deck lounge was the perfect chill out. It didn’t go unnoticed that Tiree locals were now saying ‘Graham is on the road tonight’ in an echo from the film!Sunday night and Duncan, and Gordon are back in the hotel and its more music, song and even some poetry, from the Miller kids. Monday it was time to pack up and say farewell to Laura, Amanda, Karen and the rest of the staff of the Scarinish Hotel. The pipers then play the Lord of the Isles into the pier and our Tiree trip ends for another year. The band would like to thank: the Tiree Pipe Band particularly PM Duncan and Gordon who played so brilliantly for us. Laura and her team at the Scarinish for the outstanding hospitality.
In stark contrast to last year the sun was shinning and the wind was a light breeze so people set out on foot or bicycle (or even motor bike – Graham having brought his shiny red 1000cc Triumph Tiger over, only for Laura to immediately christen it ‘the Scooter’) to explore the Island. Tiree’s fabulous beaches were looking spectacular and the wind surfers were out in force skimming over the water at speeds it looked like even Graham would struggle to match on his motorbike. Five O’clock saw the band muster for a practice on the beach in front of the hotel. It doesn’t get much better than standing piping (or drumming) with the gentle lapping of the waves for accompaniment and looking out across the sea to the gentle hills of Mull. As usual dinner at the Scarinish was excellent and afterwards Duncan, Gordon, Kenny and Scott from the Tiree Pipe Band arrived with their accordions and the festivities began. The accordionist played the pipers and drummers played and everybody sang (from the newly expanded Strathaven PB songbook Nick named the hymn book) and allegedly some people even took strong drink despite the stand-in PM for the trip (Chris Mackenzie) expressly forbidding it!
8.30am Saturday morning and Ollie is playing reveille to stir everyone out of their pit. After a hearty breakfast, another good day sees people take of to the parts of the island they didn’t see yesterday. The band gather at 2.30 and play up the road to the care home. There were one or two quizzical looks from the cars that pulled over to let the band by and quite a few followed us and stopped to listen and the home. After the performance the band enjoyed very generous hospitality. A number of the band left the home a good few pounds heavier than when they went in and one or two seemed to find the road was moving a good deal more underfoot than it did on the way up! Luckily there was a time for a kip and dinner at the hotel before heading off to the main event of the weekend a Ceilidh at the island hall.
The band got there early and after tuning up settled back to enjoy the ceilidh. The band this year are Tiree’s very own Skerryvore a band who are to Scottish country dance music what Ozzy Osbourne is to Morris Dancing. From the outset it was obvious this was going to be one hell of night. Four sets in and the dance floor resembles a fight scene from Braveheart. Bodies are flying in all directions yet everyone knows what they are doing and injury is (for the large part) avoided. The band are getting in too the thick of it and have just finished a turbo charged strip the willow and are in need of oxygen when Skerryvore announce they are taking a break and the pipe bands will play. Fortunately Tiree are playing first so Strathaven have time to go and get their instruments and line up ready to play. A couple of great sets from Tiree then Strathaven are up and the performance seems to go well. For the finale Tiree join Strathaven and the two bands play together. After that it was back to the dancing and for some reason the Strathaven contingent seemed to take like a duck to water to that legalised GBH the Tiree folk call the Hooligans Jig. A twenty five (yep twenty five minutes) of Orcadian strip the willow saw everyone in the hall too beat for anymore and it was time (hey it was only 2.30am) to head back to the hotel. Some fools then continued to party until nearly dawn a fact they soon regretted when Ian did the reveille at 9am.
Sunday was a bit of a slower day and indeed the fact that it rained didn’t bother too many people, with the notable exception of David ‘Dusty’ Miller and family who had planned to spend the day at Balepheterish beach and had to be brought back. Local Hero on the DVD in the top deck lounge was the perfect chill out. It didn’t go unnoticed that Tiree locals were now saying ‘Graham is on the road tonight’ in an echo from the film!Sunday night and Duncan, and Gordon are back in the hotel and its more music, song and even some poetry, from the Miller kids. Monday it was time to pack up and say farewell to Laura, Amanda, Karen and the rest of the staff of the Scarinish Hotel. The pipers then play the Lord of the Isles into the pier and our Tiree trip ends for another year. The band would like to thank: the Tiree Pipe Band particularly PM Duncan and Gordon who played so brilliantly for us. Laura and her team at the Scarinish for the outstanding hospitality.