Gavin was born in Hamburg, Germany where his father was serving with the Scottish Airborne Regiment. He received initial instruction from his father before going to Captain John A. MacLennan at Edinburgh Castle. In 1964 he became a guest piper with the Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band before enlisting as a piper in the Scots Guards in 1966 under Pipe Major Angus MacDonald. Gavin became Pipe Sergeant of the 1st Battalion and remained with the Scots Guards until May 1979 when he was approached to transfer to The Royal Highland Fusiliers as Pipe Major.
Gavin didn’t start professional competing until 1980 and had a short but very successful competing career winning the following major events:
- March, Strathspey and Reel competition at the Glenfiddich Championship (3 times)
- Piobaireachd competition at the Glenfiddich Championship (2 times)
- Glenfiddich Piping Championship, overall winner (2 times),
- Glenfiddich Piping Championship, runner-up overall winner (3 times),
- Highland Society of London Gold Medal for Piobaireachd at the Argyllshire Gathering at his first attempt
- Former Winners March, Strathspey and Reel at the Argyllshire Gathering at his first attempt
- Gold Medal for Piobaireachd at the Braemar Highland Gathering
- Highland Society of London Gold Medal for Piobaireachd at the Northern Meetings
- Former Winners March, Strathspey and Reel at the Argyllshire Gathering (2 times)
- Former Winners March, Strathspey and Reel at the Northern Meetings
Due to overseas postings in 1984 – 87 Gavin wasn’t able to compete as much as he would wish. He qualified for the Glenfiddich Piping Championship seven times, being placed first twice – in 1983 (winning both events) and in 1988. He was runner-up on three occasions and won the Piobaireachd Competition twice and the March, Strathspey and Reel three times.
In 1983 Gavin was awarded the BRITISH EMPIRE MEDAL for services to Army Piping and in May 1987 was posted to The Army School of Bagpipe Music, Edinburgh Castle as Warrant Officer Class 1 Pipe Major and appointed senior Pipe Major of The British Army.
Gavin retired from competing in 1989 and in 1990 was commissioned and appointed Director of Army Bagpipe Music. In September 1997 he was promoted Major and in 1999 all piping and drumming schools within the Army merged to form the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming under his command.
He was Invested as a MEMBER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE in the 1999 Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for services to Army Piping and Drumming.
During his tenure as Director of Army Bagpipe Music he was responsible for the Massed Pipes and Drums at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The pictures above show Gavin playing on his last performance at the Tattoo and receiving a ‘quaich’ from The Lord Provost of Edinburgh after being piped out of Edinburgh Castle by the Tattoo Massed Pipes and Drums.
One of Gavin’s last duties was to arrange the music and organise the Massed Pipes and Drums for the funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. This was particularly difficult to achieve as apart from the sadness of the occasion the bands had to march at 70 paces to the minute to accommodate the Gun Carriage which carried the casket. This pace was too fast for slow marches so the music was arranged in common time so that everyone marched at 70 paces but the music was played at 35 beats per minute.
Gavin retired from the Army in July 2003 after 37 years service and joined The National Piping Centre in August. He is a Senior Solo Adjudicator and is in great demand world-wide both as a judge and as an instructor.
Recordings include World’s Greatest Pipers, Volume 3 (Lismor); Pipers of Distinction series (KRL); National Piping Centre Recital Series; Capital Piper video (KRL).
