Origins In the beginning Bob Martin era Tom Brown Evolution New Leaders Keeping It There Pipe Band Factory After seven long and successful years at the top of Grade 1, Bob Martin decided to bow out after the 1986 season and hand the reigns over to Craig Walker who was one of the original members of the band back in 1972. Craig had been with the band from its inception until 1982 when work took him to London during which time he competed with the British Caledonian Airways Pipe Band under Harry McNulty. He returned to the fold for Bob‘s final season in 1986. Craig led the band for a spell of nine years during which time the band achieved continued success in competition, some highlights include the Scottish Championship in his first year in charge in Aberdeen, the Europeans at Stranraer in 1989 and the Cowal Championship in 1994. 1994 was also noteworthy for the band‘s runner-up spot at the World Championship in Glasgow in a very tightly contested event. This was the band's third time being placed 2nd at the “Worlds“ in Grade 1 and the big prize has remained tantalisingly elusive to this day. The band also recorded their second album “The Rubic Cube“ in 1989 and made an appearance in that celebrated pipe band concert venue, the County Hall in Ballymena in that same year. At the end of the 1995 season, Craig‘s career took him to Southampton and so, due to the distance involved, he decided that he could no longer stay on as Pipe Major and handed over control of the band to his younger brother Ross.