2025 Gold Clasp at the Nothern Meeting Inverness, Scotland

Stuart Liddel

The Clan Donald Trust for the Gaelic Performing Arts, in partnership with the Robert Burns Society of Charleston, is delighted to share that at the 2025 Northern Meeting in Inverness, Scotland, Stuart Liddell of Inveraray, Scotland earned his fourth Gold Clasp. This prestigious award is open only to competitors who have previously won at least one of the Highland Society of London Gold Medals at Inverness or Oban. Stuart’s winning performance featured the tune Lament for Colin Roy MacKenzie.

For the past eight years, the Trust and the Burns Society have jointly sponsored the Gold Clasp competition in Inverness. Along with providing significant financial support for the event, they also present the champion with one of the renowned Clan Donald Targes as a trophy. This distinctive targe is used as the first-place prize in competitions held by the organization worldwide and appears in the accompanying photograph of Stuart.

At the Northern Meeting, Stuart additionally secured first place in the Premier Hornpipe and Jig competition and placed third in the Former Winners’ MSR (March, Strathspey, and Reel). The MSR format requires pipers to perform a march, followed by a strathspey and a reel, testing musical control across contrasting rhythms within a set structure. Stuart was further recognized with the Northern Meeting Quaich as overall champion.

Beyond the Clasp, Stuart is also a past recipient, in both 2010 and 2025, of the Donald MacDonald Quaich for Piobaireachd, held at the Clan Donald Centre on the Isle of Skye. This event commemorates Donald MacDonald and stands among the most prestigious piobaireachd competitions in the world.

Congratulations, Stuart.