Scotland 2019
Scotland 2019
In September 2019, the Pipes and Drums of the Edmonton Police Service travelled to Scotland. The purpose of the trip was to pay homage to the pioneering men and women who responded to the call for recruits and travelled to Edmonton during a period of population expansion in the city in the early 1950’s. A similar pipe band trip to Ireland took place in 2010 in honour of the Irish volunteers who also answered the recruiting call during that time. In all 100 men and women left the security of their homes in the British Isles for an unknown future in the north of Canada. Several of those men would be instrumental in the shaping of the current fabric of the police service. In 1959 some of these men were also responsible for rekindling the pipe band that had been on hiatus since the end of the First World War.
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The band travelled to many of the home towns of these pioneers including, Dumfries, Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Highlands. Several of our current members can trace their roots back to Scotland with names such as McDonald, McKee, MacEachern, McIntyre, McMorran, McMechan, McLeod, among others.
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The band performed at a handful of schools in Ayrshire, including a session with the Scotland National School Pipe Band. They played at various public events including the Ayr marathon, and at historic sites before numerous tourists. Stops included Glencoe and the highlight, Stirling Castle.
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The pipe band was honoured to meet local dignitaries and exchange goodwill with all whom we came in contact with as ambassadors of the Edmonton Police Service, City of Edmonton, Province of Alberta and Canada.
Click on the photos below to enlarge. Scroll down for Gallery Two.
Gallery One
Gallery Two
On our way to our first gig in Scotland | Playing for students at Barshare Primary School in Cumnock, East Aryshire | |
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Handing out band badges and pins to students at Barshare Primary | Handing out band badges and pins to students at Barshare Primary | |
Handing out band badges and pins to students at Barshare Primary | Group photo at Barshare Primary | Canadian flag presented to students from the band |
Handing out pins and badges to students | Kitchen staff at Barshare Primary who served us a delicious haggis meal | Piping in the haggis at Barshare Primary |
Students at Greenmill Primary School in Cumnock, East Ayrshire with the band | ||
Sharing band souvenirs with students at Greenmill Primary | ||
Sharing band souvenirs with students at Greenmill Primary | Dumfries House near Cumnock, East Ayrshire is a large Palladian 18th century country house that was saved by the intervention of Prince Charles | Playing at Dumfries House |
Pipe Major Mckee receiving gifts from Councillor Jim Todd, Provost of East Ayrshire | Supt. Rocchio making presentation to Councillor Jim Todd, Provost of East Ayrshire | Photo after a performance at the Burns Monument Centre with Provost Jim Todd in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire |
Culzean Castle near Ayr in East Ayrshire | Marching in to play at Culzean Castle |
Playing at visitor's centre at Culzean Castle | Visitor centre following a performance at Culzean Castle | Playing in Ayr at the start of two road races |
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Photo with two of Scotland's finest at the beach in Ayr where we performed at the start of two road races | Playing in Ayr at the start of two road races | Great experience meeting and playing with the Kilmarnock Schools Pipe Band. PM McKee with their instructor Graham Drummond (who also plays with the world champions Field Marshall Montgomery Pipe Band) |
Kilmarnock Schools Pipe Band. | ||
Band playing for tourists at the 12th century Stirling Castle in Stirling. It is one of the largest and historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland | ||
Burns Monument and Gardens in Alloway, East Ayrshire which is the birthplace of Robert Burns | Tour of the McCallum Bagpipe factory in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire | |
Oban is a resort town within the Argyll area of Scotland (and home to Oban Distillery) | Scottish Police College has been based at Tulliallan Castle in Kincardine since 2013. | |
Playing at the Scottish Police Memorial at Tulliallan Castle in Kincardine |