Hailing from Bucksburn in Aberdeen, Lachlan started drumming at just four years old. His siblings played with Bucksburn & District, and since he was always in the car anyway for drop-off and pick-up, his mum decided to put him in for lessons. In addition to Bucksburn Novice Juvenile and Grade 2, Lachlan has also played with Boghall and Bathgate, City of Discovery, Deeside Caledonia, Scottish Power, Highland Granite, and now Culter & District.

Lachlan is an active participant in solo drumming competitions. He’s placed in the top 6 at the World Solo Drumming Championships on two occasions, which he considers among his most notable achievements. He also plays guitar, drum kit and piano, performs at acoustic nights around Aberdeen, and is in a covers band that does gigs from Aberdeen to Fraserburgh.

Lachlan’s most memorable drumming experiences were winning the World Pipe Band Championships in Novice Juvenile in 2008, twice winning the Grade 1 drumming at the Scottish Pipe Band Championships, and performing at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for a pre-Worlds concert. He also met his wife Jamielee through playing in pipe bands.

For Lachlan, the best thing about being lead drummer is the challenge of bringing an idea to life. He loves listening to and analysing performances and trying to get the  most out of a score. He currently has a great drum corps who are always keen to adapt to any changes or suggestions he makes. He says the worst thing about being lead drummer is having to listen to pipes, snares and the bass drum all at the same time.

Going forward, Lachlan’s aims for Culter are to produce musical performances, always try to improve on past performances, and pick up a few trophies along the way.

Snare drummer Jenni is a lifelong Culter quine. She started drumming at age 10, having got a taste of it from going along to competitions and engagements with her older brothers, both of whom were members of the band. She played with Culter & District from 2001 to 2009, then moved to Deeside Caledonia for a few years before returning to Culter in 2022.

Jenni participated in solo competing once (and only once!) in her teens. It wasn’t her favourite thing but she feels it helped with her confidence.

While Jenni has thoroughly enjoyed many of the band competitions she’s been to, one of her favourites was Cowal/Dunoon at the end of each season. Another favourite was a trip to Orkney for shopping week back in the early 2000s, and of course the trip to Spain where they played along with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers! Lots of playing and lots of socialising – great fun.

Jenni enjoys the music, but it’s the friendships and life experiences of pipe band life that have kept her coming back year after year. Playing in the band is a big commitment with two practices a week, but she highly recommends it as it’s a brilliant hobby to have and she loves being part of it all. 

Andy is from Aberdeen, having lived most of his life in Bucksburn. He started playing the pipes when he was in Primary 6 and was a member of Bucksburn & District for about 10 years. He also competed in solo competitions. After Bucksburn, Andy played with Deeside Caledonia, then took a break before joining Culter & District to help with the development band.

Some of Andy’s most memorable piping experiences include winning the Worlds in Novice Juvenile with Bucksburn and the Grade 3 Scottish Championships with Deeside. Pipe band is also how he met his wife Fiona who also now plays with Culter.

Andy was pipe major for the band in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Andy says the best thing about being pipe major is watching the band and individual players grow in ability and confidence, and that teaching is his real reason for taking on the role. He says the worst thing about being pipe major is not being listened to. Ultimately, his aims for Culter going forward are growth, sustainability, and trophies!

Fiona comes from Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides. She started learning the chanter in 2003 after her father bought her a chanter and said she had no choice but to play it! Fiona was fortunate to be taught by Donald Bàn MacDonald, a highly regarded piper from the area.

In first year, Fiona joined the Sgoil Lionacleit pipe band and had a great time playing all over the islands. A major highlight was attending their first competition in 2008 – the Worlds, no less! Considering they were only a couple of points off qualifying, it was a great achievement for a small school band. While at school, Fiona was also a frequent participant in solo competitions but now prefers pipe bands – much more fun!

During her university years in Inverness, Fiona joined the Northern Constabulary Community Pipe Band – great for distracting her from essays and placements! Later, after a few years away from the pipe band scene and several moves around Scotland, Fiona joined Deeside Caledonia before ultimately moving to Culter.

Fiona's many memorable experiences include winning the 3A European Championships with Deeside, 2nd place at the Europeans last year with Culter and 3rd place at the Scottish Championships this year. She also met her husband Andy – Culter’s pipe major until very recently – when she joined a band he was in, and she says playing with him at Culter has been fantastic. She’s enjoyed seeing all his hard work and dedication to the band rewarded with recognition from the judges!

Fiona is a fan of Fred Morrison and has always admired his playing. She was lucky to see him at recitals in Benbecula every few years while at school. For Fiona, playing in a pipe band is an amazing experience for the camaraderie and the lifelong friendships she’s made along the way. On the flip side, she could do without massed bands – hates them and no one will ever change her mind!