Willie McCallum

A native of Campbeltown, Willie has won almost every prize in solo piping and most several times over. He received his main tuition from his uncles Ronald and Hugh and also came under the guidance of P/M Ronald McCallum, MBE.

In February 2009 he secured the Metro Cup again and came first in both the March, Strathspey and Reel and Hornpipe and Jig at the Donald MacLeod Memorial in April 2009.

A list of some successes is listed below:-

Gold Medals at Inverness and Oban
Glenfiddich Championship overall (8)
MSR for Former Winners at Oban (5)
MSR for Former Winners at Inverness (2)
Senior Piobaireachd at Oban (3)
Bratach Gorm at London (3)
Silver Chanter (3)
Donald MacLeod Memorial (7)
Dan Reid Memorial (5)
Springbank Invitational (5)
Metro Cup (2)
Northern Meeting Overall (5)
Uist and Barra Overall (7)
Scottish Pipers Association (7)
USPF Championship
National Mod (5)
London Championship (4)
Highlands and Islands Piobaireachd (5)

He is in high demand as a tutor and recitalist at home and abroad and in recent years, his pupils have gained major prizes at the major piping gatherings at Oban, Inverness, Skye and London.

Willie lives in Bearsden with his wife Christine and children Hailey and Scott and works in Glasgow as an accountant with University of Strathclyde. In addition to this he runs a piping supply and education business launched in 2007 and is an agent for McCallum Bagpipes. With McCallum bagpipes, he has designed the McCallum Solo Chanter (sometimes referred to as the McC ² chanter).

Willie generally plays a set of fully silver mounted Henderson pipes, dated around 1899, with his personally designed McCallum Solo Chanter (McC ²). At certain competitions and concerts he plays a set of McCallum silver and ivory drones made in 2007.

Willie is a current member of the Grade 1 Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band, which played for the first time at the 2008 World Pipe Band Championship.