A TALENTED group of musicians from Barrhead were on the crest of a wave after they took part in their first competition.

Members of the 3rd Barrhead and District Pipe Band set sail for Rothesay at the weekend to take part in the Bute Highland Games.

They claimed seventh place in the open category, leaving Pipe Major Iain Grant beaming with pride.

He said: “It went extremely well. We are completely new to competition, so our expectation going in was just to get some experience, especially for the younger members.

“Competitions can be absolutely nerve-wracking, especially on your first go, but the more you do it, the more relaxed you become.

“Now we’ve been once, we’ve got the bug and can’t wait to go again.

“I’m just so, so proud of them now they have competed for the first time.”

The band was launched in October 2013 and practises twice a week in Barrhead.

As an experienced piper, Iain is no stranger to competition and he believes exposure to events such as the Bute Highland Games can only benefit the rest of the band.

He added: “We got a great reception at the Games as a new band, which was lovely. We all had an absolute blast but came home with a few sunburnt faces. Remembering suncream might be the first lesson we take on board for next year!

“I wanted us to get critiqued, to know where we were going wrong and need to improve. That can only do us good.

“To get a prize in the open was a real boost for everyone.”

The band’s current season is coming to an end but Iain is already looking forward to next year.

He said: “We’ve got our eye on some competitions in April and May. There is lots of work to do first, though.

“What we have going is a beautiful thing. It’s just a couple of helpers and they do it for nothing. Only two or three of us had even competed before.

“We have a few kids coming through for next season and are hoping to improve. I can see a big difference already.”