NORTH BERWICK PROVES NO GUIDE

By Brian Stevenson

WITH THE big guns not playing, the popular North Berwick Highland Games proved no guide to the 2012 World Pipe Band Championship. The only Grade 1 bands in attendance were North American units 78th Fraser Highlanders Ontario and Oran Mor who split the two main prizes between them.
The only other Grade 1 contest in Scotland before the world’s, Bridge of Allan, had previously been cancelled with organisers citing bad weather as the reason.
Two Scottish bands made up the minor prizes in each event - the vastly improving Lothian & Borders Police and Torphichen & Bathgate.
Other bands which played but were unplaced were Dysart & Dundonald (Sco), 78th Fraser Highlanders Halifax and Alberta Caledonian (both Canada). 
Over in Dundonald, Ayrshire the Strathclyde Police were the only top flight band entered in Grade 1.
Field Marshall Montogomery won the Dungannon (Ulster) Grade 1 contest from Cullybackey, Ravara and Seven Towers.
North Berwick Grade 1 results
MSR 
1 Oran Mor 2 78th Fraser Highlanders 3 Lothian & Borders Police 
Medley 
1 78th Fraser Highlanders 2 Oran Mor  3 Torphichen & Bathgate