In 2005, built upon these foundations, Inveraray and District Pipe Band (“IDPB”) was formed when it registered with the RSPBA. It competed in its first competition in the Novice Juvenile grade at Cowal Games in August 2005, with borrowed drums and its young members clad in uniforms of various colours.

The next few years, kick-started by National Lottery funding and much local support, saw the band rise through the RSPBA Grades with unprecedented momentum, winning the Worlds Championships in Novice Juvenile and Juvenile grades. Following the considerable success of the band in the Juvenile grade, a decision was taken that the band would thereafter compete in the adult grades to enable the older members to remain. The RSPBA took the unusual step of grading the band from Juvenile directly into Grade 2 owing to its success.

The band’s success in Grade 2 in 2009 (winning all 5 Major Championships) meant that it was immediately promoted to Grade 1 for the 2010 season. Both the pipe and drum corps had added to their ranks for the 2009 season and similarly were able to do so for 2010. In its first Grade 1 season, the band placed 5th at the Cowal Championship. Meantime, the growing demand for the band’s music and playing style meant opportunities for travel to festivals such as Brittany and Spain, and concert appearances such as Celtic Connections for the first time.

The current incarnation of IDPB is less parochial – in fact, truly international – with members from several continents. The membership features highly decorated individual performers, graduates of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, an abundance of capable composers and arrangers and several performers with a wider musical pedigree than purely piping or drumming.

From 2011 up until 2022 (with no competitions in 2020/2021 due to the pandemic) the band were very consistent and have been placed in the top 6 in every Major Championship during these years. They won their first Major, the European, at Forres in 2014 and were 2nd in the Worlds that year. In 2016 they won the Scottish and British but were again just beaten into 2nd place at the Worlds. However, in 2017 they reached the pinnacle when they won the Worlds and became Champion of Champions in the same year. The band went on to win the Worlds for a second time in 2019.