Lerwick Royal British Legion Pipe Band

Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia

First official photo of Lerwick Pipe Band, June 1933, prior to the annual British Legion Parade. On the far left is Captain L. Petrie ,Far right is Lt. Col. Magnus Shearer, Chairman British Legion
Photo from Shetland Museum and Archives.

First Lerwick Pipe Band - 7th Volunteer Battalion Gordon Highlanders
Photo from Shetland Museum and Archives.

Shetland Museum photo of the Pipe Band from an unknown year.

The Lerwick Royal British Legion Pipe Band, is the only Pipe Band in the Shetland Islands and the most northerly situated band in the UK.

The Pipe Band leads the Lerwick Up Helly-Aa every year during the morning procession and the evening procession.

History

Lerwick Royal British Legion Pipe Band was formally constituted in 1933. Before that there had been informal groups of pipers playing on different occasions in Shetland.
Shetland's first Thelephone Engineer, Angus Clark, a native of Strathpeffer, who became the first Pipe Major, had arrived to Shetland already in 1906 and were among the three pipers marching behind the British Legion's banner at the first Armistice Day parade in 1919.
Andrew Wilson, an Edinburgh man, was appointed as the first Drum Major.
In 1933 the Pipe Band consisted of ten pipers and five drummers.
The initiative to form the band came from Lt.Col. Magnus Shearer, the at that time President of the Royal British Legion Scotland. He also persuaded the local branch to make funds available for the purchase of uniforms and equipment. Their first uniforms were the Gordon Tartan. It was chosen in recognition of Shetland beeing a "Gordon County". Many Shetlanders had served in the Gordon Highlanders.