During the summer of 1994 Nick Guise, a Stockbridge resident and keen piper, attended a Piping Training Course at the Sabhal Mor Ostaig Gaellic College on Skye, under the direction of PM Andy Venters.
While attending this course the idea to start a community pipe band as a local facility was formed and, upon his return from Skye, Nick obtained permission from Canon Clark (a piping enthusiast) to use St Vincent’s Chapel, on St Stephen Street, as the Band’s practice premises.
At the start of September that year, Nick made contact with Lindsay Davidson and invited him along to join the band. Fellow learners from the College of Piping class, at Broughton High School, run by Dugald MacNeil and Jennie Wheater were contacted. Nick also made contact with Tom Black, former lead tip of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers.
Plans were made to formalize the band with a Committee, and a constitution was drawn up (lodged in the Stockbridge Library). Nick designed and produced the Band logo, inspired by the stone bridge over the old ford at Kerr Street. Lindsay was appointed the Band’s first Pipe Major/Instructor, and was responsible for the musical direction, Nick as Pipe Sergeant/Secretary and Tom Black as Drumming Instructor.
The Band held it’s first performance in the Stockbridge Parish Church on December the 12th 1994 and the Stockbridge Pipe Band was up and running.
In the Autumn of 2000 the present Pipe Major, Euan Whitmore took over the band after a lapse in PM leadership and began building the band with a view to competing. Previously, the band did not have any uniforms so Lottery funding was sought and along with some persistent fundraising during the first couple of years, the band was kitted out in Stewart of Appin Muted Hunting kilts and associated items of band uniform in time for a trip to Treviso, Italy in 2003.
The band entered a few minor competitions before beginning to compete at the Major Championships in 2006. Following a couple of years of hard work, and with assistance and tutoring from experienced external players, the band won the British, European, World and Cowal Championships in G4B during 2008 and was promoted to G4A. In 2009 the Band was again promoted from G4A to G3B and at the beginning of 2010 formed a G4B Development Band. In 2011 the band won the Scottish Championships in G3B and in 2013, after winning the European and Cowal Championships as well as overall Champion of Champions for G3B, the band was promoted to G3A.
