Ross began piping at the age of 7 learning first in the Cabar Feidh Bagpipes shop in Inverness before moving south to Linlithgow and joining the Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band in Novice Juvenile. Whilst rising through the grades Ross received tuition from Alvis Kerr and then Greig Canning. From 2010-2017 Ross was a member of the National Youth Pipe Band and was Pipe Major of the band for 3 years. During this time he performed all over Scotland and Europe with the band. 

 

2012 was his first year competing in Grade 1 with Boghall, in that season the band won the European and Cowal championships and also performed the ‘Pre- Worlds’ concert at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Ross joined Inveraray and District for the 2016 season and since then has won numerous championships including the Worlds. 

 

Ross is a regular prize winner in the solos and has won the North American Silver Medal for Piobaireachd. In 2017 Ross graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with a Bachelor of Traditional Music (First Class Honours) degree. At the time, he was the only person in the world to hold this degree for a year. 

​

Ross is a professional piper performing at concerts and events all over the world as well as teaching a large roster of private students and in schools on the Isle of Arran. Alongside this he actively competes in the solo and pipe band scenes.

​

He began composing whilst at school and from a young age Ross was arranging harmonies for concerts and warm up sets in the pipe band. His love of composing was continued throughout his studies in Glasgow, writing many pieces and arrangements with these being performed at the Celtic Connections festival.

​

Ross has many influences, being a well versed singer and trombonist and his wide range of styles and knowledge feeds into his piping and composition styles. Living with non-piping musicians also allows him to experience different traditional music and experiment with new ideas. Some notable piping influences and idols would be Stuart Liddell, Ross Ainslie and James MacKenzie as well as, of course, Gordon Duncan.

​

His harmonies and arrangements have been played in concert by Inveraray and District but to his knowledge none of his compositions have been picked up by any Grade 1 bands.....YET!

​

Ross is due to release a book of tunes in 2021 and has recently released his debut album, ‘The Roke’ which is available below. On the album, over half of the tunes are self-penned and the others are Ross’ arrangements of the tunes. The album has something for everyone from driving folky reels to a pipe quartet performed entirely by Ross himself.

​

​