THE Lochgelly High School Pipe Band members were disappointed at the end of the week to hear of the cancellation of the World Pipe Band Championships in August.

Organisers of the 2020 Piping Live! Glasgow International Piping Festival, announced that this year’s festival has been cancelled - hours after reaching out to thousands of pipers across the world to pipe up as a poignant salute to key workers in the battle against the Covid-19 virus.

The festival, which was due to take place August 8 – 16, was expected to welcome 40,000 visitors to Glasgow, with 5,000 performers due to put on over 150 events throughout the city.

The Lochgelly band were looking forward to the World Championships where last August they were placed 5th overall, in The Novice Juvenile Grade, and were also awarded the title of RSPBA Champion of Champion's 2019 for the Novice Juvenile Grade.

Finlay MacDonald, Artistic Director of Piping Live! Glasgow International Piping Festival, said: “This is heart-breaking news for the piping fraternity.

“This hasn’t been an easy decision, but it’s one we feel is entirely necessary to help safeguard the health and wellbeing of our staff, performers, volunteers and attendees".

The LHS pipers have already seen several events cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic including the Benarty Pipe Band competition in June.