The historic Blair castle is set to welcome the Transvaal Scottish Pipe Band from South Africa on Monday 10^th August for a very special joint performance with the Atholl Highlanders. The band have travelled thousands of miles to Scotland to compete in this year’s World Pipe Band Championships taking place on Glasgow Green later this month.

The group are travelling to Blair Castle while on their whistle-stop tour to learn more about their strong connections to the Atholl family and, to celebrate, will bring together the sounds of the pipes and drums of both their band and the Atholl Highlanders.

The Transvaal Scottish were formed after the Boer War in 1902 by the Marquis of Tullibardine who later became the 8^th Duke of Atholl. Both he and his father, the 7^th Duke of Atholl had raised the Scottish Horse Regiment for the Boer War from men in Scotland and Australia. After the war, The Transvaal Scottish Volunteer Regiment was formed as an infantry unit of South Africans. 

Jane Anderson, Archivist at Blair Castle, explained:

“The Transvaal Scottish Volunteer Regiment was in addition to the mounted unit of Transvaal volunteers that succeeded the original men of the Scottish Horse Regiment after the Boer War. There has since been various amalgamations with them seeing service in South Africa during both the First and Second World War.”

The Transvaal Scottish Pipe Band and the Atholl Highlanders will be joining musical forces to play together for the very first time on the castle forecourt at 3.00pm on Monday.

Jane continued:

“It is wonderful to be welcoming the Transvaal Scottish Pipe Band to Blair Castle for such a unique and historic performance alongside the Atholl Highlanders and to celebrate this connection. We are looking forward to hearing them play and wish them well for the World Pipe Band Championships later this month.”

For more information about Blair Castle visit www.blair-castle.co.uk