A PIPE band from the Wee County has bagged two gold medals at a major competition.

Dollar Academy hit the right note with the judges at this year's Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships, winning in both the highly-contested Novice Juvenile A and Juvenile categories.

Young people from the academy were up against counterparts from more than 120 participating schools and 81 performances across eight categories.

Craig Stewart, piping tutor at Dollar Academy, said following the March 12 event: “We are so proud of what our youngsters achieved yesterday, an accurate reflection of the hard work and commitment they have demonstrated over the winter months.

“The enjoyment of performing, the results aside, was only made possible because we had a competition to attend.

“The championship was the last pipe band event that we attended prior to Covid – during the last couple of years we missed the buzz, the excitement and the joy associated with such a well-run competition.

“Everyone at Dollar was delighted to witness the sensational atmosphere generated at Kilmarnock Academy, it was invigorating to be part of this huge event and observe so many youngsters, from all over Scotland, benefit from the many educational aspects of piping and drumming.”

The academy beat George Watson's College and St Columba's School in the Novice Juvenile A category while George Watson's College also came second in the Juvenile category, followed by George Heriot's School.

The championship was organised by the Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust (SSPDT) to revive dwindling access to the instruments across schools.

Alexandra Duncan, SSPDT chief executive, added: “The day itself lived up to all the expectations and we were lucky to witness some incredible performances across the board from the pipe bands.

“The category winners and all the bands who performed were absolutely brilliant on the day, demonstrating real teamwork and putting on a serious show – making it very hard for our judging panel to pick a winner.”