The Oban Times, 17 September, 1910
Champion Piobaireachd Player
Glasgow, 8 September, 1910
Sir,–You publish in your issue a 3rd inst. a letter dated 26 July, from Victoria, Australia, signed by Mr. Simon Fraser, and a very interesting letter in my humble opinion it is; but it contains a statement which, I think, should be contradicted. The statement is that “Mr. MacDougall Gillies is champion piobaireachd player of the world.” Now, my impression is that when the Northern Meeting was 100 years old they offered a £10 gold medal, open to the world for players who had won the ordinary gold medal at meetings. I was present at that competition, and if my memory does not play me false, their gold medal was won by John McColl, late of Oban, now of Glasgow. Gillies did compete for the medal, but in the opinion of the judges and outsiders, was fairly beaten, and I am sure he is far too good a man to claim any prize or medal he has not won.
If this should meet the eye of Mr. Simon Fraser or anybody else who claims for Gillies the championship of the world in piobaireachd, I would be extremely obliged if he or they would say when and where he won it. MacDougall Gillies is, as all the piping world knows, a good, a very good, piobaireachd player, and I for one hope and expect he will prove himself so at the coming Oban meeting, where, I understand, he competes for the Piobaireachd Society prize, but he will have a hard nut to crack.–I am, etc.,
A Lover of the Piob Mhor. [L. McIver Roseneath]
