Catch The Excitment!

2008 Festival Dates

June 14-15

Meeks Park , Blairsville, Ga.

*Kilted Golf Classic & Ceilidh held June 13

The Atholl Highlanders Pipes and Drums USA formed in 1981.  Lord Murray, 10th Duke of Atholl, granted them permission to wear the Murray of Atholl district tartan, to bear the name Atholl Highlanders and to be his representative in America. Our parent organization, The Atholl Highlanders, has appeared throughout Scottish history at Culloden and Glen Shiel as well other sites of importance. Queen Victoria recognized them and presented their first set of colors (standard) at Blair Atholl Castle in 1845. The Stone Mountain band is one of only two in the world bearing the name Atholl Highlanders.  Band members proudly display the shield of the Murray coat of arms on their sleeves. The band typically fields 15 pipers and drummers for events including Highland Games, parades, Burns’ Night, Kirkin' O' the Tartan, Steeplechases and the Georgia Renaissance Festival.

In January 2000, the Atholl Highlanders were the first pipe band to appear at a Super Bowl game, performing the National Anthem with singer Faith Hill at Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta.  The band participated in the Millennium Piping Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland in August of that year, joining with over 8,500 pipers and drummers parading through the city to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care. The band was in the 2002 Tunes of Glory parade in New York City, with just under 7,000 marching up the Avenue of the Americas. The band has also performed in the Atlanta Braves 9-11 remembrance pre-game ceremonies. The band returned to Edinburgh for the Pipefest 2005 parade, marching with more than 9,800 pipers and drummers from around the world. The Atholl Highlanders appear at the Blairsville Scottish Festival and Highland Games, Loch Hartwell Highland Games, Stone Mountain Highland Games and the Alabama Highland Games.
   
Although the band has won a number of competitions, its primary mission is to perform and entertain, and to bring the music and pageantry of the Highlands to as many as possible. Free piping and drumming instruction is offered to anyone interested in joining. For more information, visit their web site at www.usahpd.com or contact businessmanager@usahpd.com. The band is under the musical direction of Pipe Major Evan Kohler-Camp and Drum Sergeant Konrad Clemens and marching direction of Drum Majors Don Bogue and Ron Volz.

Chattahoochee Pipe and Drum merged with Celtic Connection to become the Chattahoochee-Celtic P&Ds in 2002. Chattahoochee P&Ds was started by Rory Howe with the Roswell Police Department, as in integral part of the department’s Special Operations Unit and received financial sponsorship from the City, back in 1995 following the Stone Mountain Games. The purpose of the band was to fill the para-military role in public safety funerals and ceremonies and was originally staffed with many players from the police and fire service. The band has took first place at the Alabama HG and won second place in Savannah. The band, as well as the individual pipers perform at parades, formal ceremonies, dedications, public safety funerals around the SE and served as the host band for the Culloden Games for 4 years straight after becoming the founding band there. They wear the Chattahoochee Tartan, recognized by Lord Lyon and designed for the City of Roswell, GA. prior to the '96 Atlanta Olympics. The band is a GRV, good looking, good sounding street band whose sole purpose is to enjoy the music and to entertain…they hope to get back into the competition field soon. They offer free instruction to anyone willing to commit to practice and to the family concept of the band. They’ve presented as many as 18 on the street. The band is under the direction of Rory Howe and P/Sgt Scott McAiley and can be reached through the Roswell Police Department and it’s obvious that they enjoy what they do.

The Appalachian St. Andrew's Pipes and Drums Corps was formed in 2004 in Blairsville as a natural mission of the Appalachian St. Andrew's Society.  The pipe major is Roy McKee, who comes to the pipes and drums corps with his 16 years of experience.  P/M McKee previously played with the Mizapah Pipes and Drums in Fort Wayne, Indiana.   He retired to Blairsville and found that there were many in the community who piped and pursued their Scottish heritage. We are deeply appreciative for all of the time that P/M McKee puts in with the pipes and for his instruction to all who come for membership. Recording Sergeant Joseph Adams comes to the pipes and drums corps with a lifetime of involvement in all things Scottish.  He is an active member in many Scottish organizations and community groups,  as well as being a Fellow (Scot), S.A.S. Russell Stockton, drum corporal, is in command of the regimental drummers and their instruction.  Membership is open to all, male and female, of whatever age.  Instruction is without charge.  The band meets for practice each Saturday at 9:30 a.m. - noon year round, and has extra practices on Tuesday evenings during Highland Game season.  The band performs for fraternal organizations, corporations, government,  individuals, and appears in many of the parades throughout Appalachia.  Their area of participation ranges from Dalton, Georgia to Andrews, North Carolina, to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to Anderson, South Carolina.  Further information may be obtained by contacting the convener:  Jay Craig, 706-835-9071.

Senior Drum Major Don Bogue: The Senior Drum Major on Parade for the Blairsville Scottish Festival and Highland Games is Don Bogue of the Atholl Highlanders Pipes and Drums USA from Stone Mountain, Georgia.  He is also the Senior Drum Major on Parade for the Loch Hartwell Highland Games and the Southeastern Scots-Irish Festival and Games; and was a Division Drum Major in the Millennium Pipefest Parade in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2000 and in the Pipefest 2005 parade in Edinburgh.