A KILMARNOCK school is set to host The Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships 2025.

The event, which is the largest of its kind in the world, will take place on March 9 at the William McIlvanney Campus.

It is open to entries from all youth pipe bands across Scotland.

The event is organised by the Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust (SSPDT), a registered charity that promotes the playing of pipes and drums in Scottish state schools.

The charity provides cash grants for tuition and other related band costs, free bagpipe and B-flat concert chanter loans, paid trainee internships, and organises the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships.

At the last event, 73 youth pipe bands, 8 quartets, and 17 freestyle ensembles from 99 schools participated, giving 83 performances in total.

Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums organise the event (Image: David Mollison)This year, the freestyle category will offer a top prize of £2,500, with runner-up prizes totalling £3,250.

All eight competitions within the championships offer 'generous' prizes, but the freestyle event has the largest incentive.

The freestyle category is open to school bands and group performances of any musical genre, contemporary or traditional, with any combination of instruments and vocalists, as long as they include the pipes.

It is designed to showcase the versatility of the pipes and to encourage their inclusion in mainstream music-making in schools.

There are six graded competitions for pipe bands, catering to beginners as well as seasoned bands.

Alex Duncan, SSPDT chief executive, said: "The freestyle event celebrates the fact that pipers can play music of all genres, traditional and contemporary, along with other instruments.

"For schools wanting to give this a go, we can lend concert chanters free of charge, so that the pipes can be tuned to the same pitch as other instruments."

"We thank East Ayrshire Council for hosting the championships at the fabulous William McIlvanney campus in Kilmarnock again.

"With an impressive modern main stage arena that seats an audience of over 400 people, two more large performance spaces, 50 classrooms for changing, easy access for transport and parking, and excellent catering and exhibition space, the venue surpasses anything that we have seen in Scotland."

For more details on the championships, you can find them on social media at @Piping4Pupils or visit their website.