Smallpipes Program

Gary is a musician, academic and broadcaster who specializes in researching, teaching and performing the cultural traditions of Scotland. He spent 27 years as the Professor of Scottish Ethnology at the University of Edinburgh, and is in high demand as a lecturer, piper and singer. Originally from Pitlochry in Perthshire, Gary played with the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band, winning the Scottish and European Championships, and played for two seasons with the Grade 1 Glasgow Police Pipe Band. In addition to his work in music and media, Gary is a former Director of the European Ethnological Research Centre, a board member of Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, and a board member of the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust. For many years, Gary has hosted Pipeline, a weekly program on BBC Radio Scotland. He has recently begun his own piping podcast called ‘Enjoy Your Piping.’

Ailis Sutherland is a piper from Kirriemuir. Taught by her father at the kitchen table, she has gone on to perform across the UK, and in Europe, Asia, the USA and Australia with various bands and projects, most recently as part of the Finlay MacDonald Band. Ailis has featured in a range of high-profile events, including performing on the runway at the Dior Cruise 2025 Fashion Show, for the Van Cleef & Arpels Fleurs d’Hawaï Launch, and an Abbey Road Studios recording session for video game soundtrack. She was featured in a Sky Arts documentary where she was filmed playing pipes in the crown of Stirling’s iconic Wallace Monument and performed at the table read for Outlander Season 8 in 2024. She took to the stage at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 2024, to perform ‘Common People’ with 90s Britpop legends Pulp. Ailis is also a World Pipe Band Champion, having won the Grade 1 title with Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band in 2015, and a finalist in the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award (2023). She holds a First Class Honours degree in Applied Music from the University of the Highlands and Islands, where she also studied wooden fute with acclaimed Glenuig musician Iain MacDonald. Nominated for MG ALBA’s Up & Coming Artist Award in 2019 for her work with Hecla, Ailis has collaborated with a wide array of artists and ensembles, such as GRIT Orchestra, Croft No. Five, Brìghde Chaimbeul, Kathleen MacInnes and Allan MacDonald. She has also appeared with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO), the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and as part of a PRS Foundation/Chamber Music Scotland performance with Maxwell Quartet. Ailis went freelance full time in 2025, having built a reputation as an experienced and committed music educator alongside her performance career. With 12 years of teaching experience, she has worked with students of all ages and stages across the world. In her previous role as Clubs Producer at the National Piping Centre, Ailis developed community-based education projects, that create accessible pathways for children to learn Scotland’s national instrument. Her teaching portfolio also includes piping programmes with the University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh, the Royal Guard of Oman, the Royal Oman Police and the Indonesian Defence University. Ailis regularly delivers workshops and classes with cultural organisations including Fèis Rois, Fèis Bharraigh, Fèis Tìr an Eòrna, Scots Music Group and Far North Retreats, as well as with the Italian Spring School (Pisa/Bologna, Italy), Sychrov Piping Seminar (Prague, Czech Republic), Celtic Arts Foundation (Washington, USA) and Càirdeas (Vermont, USA).

Finlay MacDonald has blazed a trail as one of Scotland’s finest exponents of contemporary and traditional Piping. He has worked with many leading artists in the traditional music scene including Fred Morrison, The Unusual Suspects, La Banda Europa, Old Blind Dogs and Chris Stout. As a soloist, he has collaborated with many world famous ensembles including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, The Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and the RTE Philharmonic. In the Pop and Rock world there have been unique performances with such diverse artistes such as Bryan Adams, Biffy Clyro and the rap artist P.Diddy. Always driven by collaboration and innovation, Finlay’s passion for the music he has grown up with has led him to the post of “Head of Piping Studies” at the National Piping Centre and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where he continues to inspire and develop the very best of new Piping talent.