Gibraltar Sea Scouts Pipe Band

Established 1916

History of the Band

Dockyard Police Pipes & Drums

The first pipe band to be formed on the Rock of Gibraltar is thought to have been the short-lived Dockyard Police Pipes & Drums, which was formed in the late 1800s. The band was made up of local Gibraltarians trained by The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment), which was the Resident Battalion at the time. After the unit was disbanded, the Gibraltar Sea Scouts Pipe Band was founded in 1916 and has been a prominent part of the local musical, cultural, and Scouting communities ever since. Just four years after its founding, the band performed at the 1920 World Jamboree in the UK. In 1976, the band returned to the UK to perform at the Blair Atholl Jamborette, an event the Troop has participated in bi-annually ever since.

Over its history, the band has undergone several transformations, evolving from a typical Scouts band, one that incorporated bell lyres and bugles, and ultimately to its current form as a modern pipe band. In its early days, the band lacked a formal structure, but was led by Mr. George De Veras, the Group Scout Leader at the time. The band’s first Pipe Major was Tony Almeida.

Band at the Jamboree

Throughout its century-long history, the band has performed with various resident battalions, including the Royal Irish and the 52nd (Lowland) Division, and collaborated with local talent such as Jetstream, the 1st/4th Scouts Corps of Drums, the Band & Corps of Drums of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, the Gibraltar Band & Drums Association, and the Calpe Band. The band has also had the honour of performing with renowned artists like The Chieftains, Carlos Nuñez, and Andre Rieu.

Our tartan is the Flower of Scotland.