Jimi performs traditional music in Glen Nevis.

Piper Jimi McRae plays the classic traditional bagpipe tunes 'Lochaber No More' and 'The High Road to Gairloch' during a visit to Dun Deardail hillfort in Glen Nevis following a busy weekend filming a Hollywood movie in Glencoe. (more info soon) 

 

The version of 'Lochaber No More' performed here, though seldom heard nowadays perhaps, is a fine arrangement by influential early 20th Century piper PM Willie MacLean. 'The High Road to Gairloch' is a popular and uplifting Highland 2/4 march thought to have been composed sometime during the 16th Century. 

 

 McRae recorded the video live with his mobile phone during a visit to Dun Deardail fort and other locations near Fort William, Lochaber on April 27, 2026. Dun Deardail occupies a prominent knoll on the north facing spur of Sgurr Chalum in Glen Nevis, close to the popular West Highland Way with impressive views of Ben Nevis, the Mamores mountain range, Glen Nevis and much of Lochaber. Archeologists believe the fort was built sometime during the second millennium BC and occupied until the fourth or fifth Century AD, probably by local chieftans and tribal elites. Recent excavations have unearthed stone tools, metal objects and evidence that bronze and ironworking took place there. 

 

Exactly who lived there we will probably never know for sure. However, Dun Deardail is a popular spot to visit for walkers on the West Highland Way and a cracking spot to chill and sound the Piob Mhor if time and weather conditions allow. Slainte Mhor!

                                                                      https://youtu.be/6150hgJ_-mc 

 

Download and stream links for new track

 Hi, my new release "God's Gonna Cut You Down" (bagpipe version) is available to stream and download at all popular online music sites. 

Please click on the link below for a direct link to the track at your favourite site. (The pic is a screenshot of the top half of the link page. Youtube music, Amazon music, Tidal, Deezer, KKBox and Pandora are out of shot)

A Youtube video for the song can be viewed in the proceeding post here. 

Thanks again for the awesome support. Back with more exciting news soon.

 Slainte! 

 emubands.ffm.to/godsgonnacutyoudownbagpipeversion

 

New Song and Vid - 'Bagpipe version' of "God's Gonna Cut You Down"

Hi. Just sharing my latest music recording and video. 

Very pleased to be following in the footsteps of the likes of Johnny Cash and Moby with a 'bagpipe version' of the classic American folk/gospel song "God's Gonna Cut You Down". I hope you enjoy it.

 

This version was arranged and recorded by myself and occasional song writing partner guitarist Neil Warden. The video was filmed at the historic ruins of St Bridget's chapel/kirk near Dalgetty Bay in Fife, Scotland, April 2026.

 

"God's Gonna Cut You Down" (also known as "Cut You Down", "God's Gonna Cut 'Em Down", "Run On" and "Sermon") has been recorded in a variety of genres in recent years, including country, folk, alternative rock, electronic and black metal by numerous artists including Johnny Cash, Moby and Marilyn Manson.

 

 The lyrics warn evil doers that they cannot avoid God's judgment! 

 

This is a shortened version of the track recorded by Neil and I. A longer version will be available in due course.

Hope you enjoy.

Slainte!

                                                     https://youtu.be/ROIEcqMoxLY?si=VIeW3WxDiQQxx-Po 

 

Jimi joins acclaimed classical and rock music collaboration

Hiya, hope all good. Here's a quick update of some of what's been happening since my last post here. 

Probably the big news is that I've been invited and have now agreed to hook up with a collaborative outfit called 'Sinfonicca' which boasts an impressive list of classical and rock music soloists and which specialises in classic rock arrangements for orchestras and groups.  

'Sinfonicca' perform live and release albums. Here's a link to a YouTube video of their 'metal' version of 'Winter' from Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons' from 2023 which has over 100,000 views. 

https://youtu.be/5WHUlkpxSAY?si=Y69C-xzW2MLVwFfG

The driving force behind 'Sinfonicca' is the Kirkcaldy born award winning author, publisher, record label owner and general arts and entertainment industry entrepreneur - Bob Curruthers, who was also the manager of rock bands Uriah Heep and Asia for a while. Talk about a blast from the past, lol.

Bob is an admirer of my sound and live performances. After a positive meeting I'm happy and honoured to say I'm joining 'Sinfonicca' on an exciting new project which will culminate in an album release and tour.

Team 'Sinfonicca' envisage my participation on up to six tracks, the first of which I've just completed.

In other news my latest collaboration with guitarist pal and occasional song writing partner Neil Warden will be out soon on YouTube. Expect a marked shift in musical styles following our fun 'lockdown' experiment - 'Hills Where I Begun', which was a personal take on the Borders ballads.

As anyone who follows me on social media possibly already knows I was very fortunate to be invited to Rome, Wales and Ireland to perform for players and spectators before and after Scotland's recent Six Nations rugby matches.

Here's a few pics and and links to vids from all three trips. The vids are all from Cardiff, Wales where I was delighted to perform alongside Cardiff Male Voice Choir (Cor Meibion Caerdydd) at a pre-match reception and also pipe during the Scotland and Wales clash at the quite magnificent Principality Stadium. This was my first time inside the stadium with the roof closed. Incredible atmosphere and game.

Cardiff Male Voice Choir are filmed singing 'Yma O' hyd' (we're still here) a stirring song with fine words telling how the original pre-Roman Britons and their language live on in modern Welsh. 

The video links are to my Facebook 'artist' page and are open to view. Hope you can access them if interested.

Special thanks to good pal and former Scottish international rugby prop forward Norrie Rowan for the company, craic and match tickets. Cheers Norrie. Great travel companion.

Lots more happening in other performance areas. Sworn to secrecy on much of this for now. Waiting for the green light to tell you all about it. Hopefully soon. 

 Slainte Mhor! 

Link to pre-match clip and Welsh national anthem -  https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AwdfaH36a/

Link to Welsh Choir                                            - https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14abVGEQb8W/

Happy New Year! A busy start to 2026.

 

 

Hi there! Hope you're having a good start to the year, friends. Golly it's been a while since I posted here. Apologies. I've been very busy.

 

 

As stated in my last post here, social media is probably the best place to keep up with my activities - either my facebook 'artist' page - facebook.com/people/Jimi-McRae/100078059205924  (lots of new live music footage here)

 

 0r perhaps my VK profile for those living in parts of the world where facebook is not so accessible -  vk.com/id801981336

 

I also have a profile on LinkedIn but seldom use it these days.  If you are a fan of this medium you can find me by doing a search for Jimi McRae.

 

This year 2026 is shaping up to be a busy one for myself in a variety of ways. I have spent much of January working on several new musical projects. Pleased to say one or two of these are nearing completion and hopefully should be ready for public release in the next month or so, fingers crossed. 

Travel wise, the first of a number of piping expeditions overseas is now only a few weeks away. As always I will endeavour to do a good job wherever I am, and also my utmost to be a decent ambassador for Scotland and the ordinary, good citizens of the UK.

 

I spent a fair bit of 2025 working in an area of the arts which was quite new to me. This proved quite lucrative. I am sworn to secrecy regarding divulging any more details about this new venture but will hopefully share info and some pics here in due course once authorisation is given and at an appropriate time. 

Suffice to say I really enjoyed working in this new area and met a lot of good people, some of them old friends and acquaintances I hadn't seem since my 20s! It was great to hook up again. The good news is this new business venture hopefully looks set to continue in 2026. (fingers and toes crossed again)

 

As I write 'Burns' Night is rapidly approaching and I've been invited to pipe at three different suppers celebrating the birth of Scotland's national bard Robbie Burns. Fortunately these events are all on different evenings so I am pleased to say I can attend them all. Woo hoo! Better strike up the Piob Mhor and give them a good blow in preparation. 

Thanks for taking the time and trouble to visit this web page folks. One of my New Year resolutions is to try harder to post updates here more often.

Wish me luck! Slainte Mhor!

Jimi 

 

 

Quick update - busy times!

The summer and early Autumn of 2025 has been a very busy time for Jimi.

For up to date info including videos of recent concerts please check out:  

facebook.com/people/Jimi-McRae/100078059205924

Or: 

 vk.com/id801981336

Slainte!

 

 

 

 

Scots piper connects with war torn Ukrainian family.

Jimi McRae meets Irina Kalinovskaya in the Russian city of Samara. According to some estimates Irina is one of almost two million Ukrainian refugees currently living in Russia.

                            

   

Jimi with Irina's daughter Aleona and Aleona's husband Alastair at their home near Fyvie in Aberdeenshire.

 

When a Scottish bagpiper performed at a music festival on the banks of the River Volga last year two of the loudest cheering members of the audience had already made a special connection with his homeland.

 

For their daughter and grand-daughter called Aleona had previously married a Scotsman and now lived just a few hours drive from Jimi's home in Edinburgh.

 Irina Kalinovskaya (68) and her mother Victoria (96) both refugees from the current conflict in Ukraine, were watching the entertainment in the main square of Russian city Samara when Jimi took to the stage to perform a medley of well known Scottish, Eastern European and Russian folk tunes on his bagpipes. 

Jimi was one of several international performers taking part in the inaugural Anti- Fascist Music Festival 'Here We Stand'. Other participants included acts from France, Italy, Serbia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Russia.

 

Irina videoed Jimi's performance and also recorded footage of him shown later on Samara TV before emailing it to Aleona in Scotland. "My husband Alastair and I were blown away when we watched it" said Aleona. "The pipes sounded fabulous and it made us so proud and very happy.

"We'd both been worried sick about mum and granny ever since they were forced to flee their home in eastern Ukraine in September 2022 but Jimi had made them so happy. They were thrilled."

Aleona (42) and Alastair (55) contacted Jimi to say well done. A friendship developed and Jimi visited the couple at their home near Fyvie in Aberdeenshire. He also ensured Irina and Victoria had concert tickets for his second visit to Samara the following year.

"I was just glad to help out" said Jimi. "Aleona's Granny is 96. Can you imagine being that age and being forced to flee your home? I'm just happy to have helped put a smile back on their faces for a wee while."

 

Aleona said Irina, Victoria and herself hailed from the town of Volchansk in the Kharkov region of Ukraine close to the border with Russia. The family have lived there for generations.

 

“When Russian forces entered Volchansk on the 22.02.2022 residents were frightened at first but soon realised there was no threat and people went to greet them” said Aleona. "The Russians quickly restored electricity and gas to the town which had been cut off by Ukrainian forces. They kept the town clean and in order and started to hire people for councils and schools. They also installed air defences to protect the town from Ukrainian missiles.

 

"Things were looking good. We all thought the town was finally safe from the Ukrainian regime. Since the 2014 coup there had been a really hostile atmosphere in town. Speaking Russian was banned in public places and the Ukrainian language was forced on everyone, particularly those working and studying. But things were looking better. I had even booked a trip back home in time for Granny's birthday."

 

In September 2022 Ukrainian forces launched a counter attack in the Kharkov region and word spread that the Russian forces were making a strategic withdrawal.

 

"When people saw the forces leaving they started to run for the Russian border which is only a few miles away" added Aleona. "Everybody feared reprisals from the Ukrainian regime. Granny and mum left with nothing but the clothes they had on. This was my Granny's second evacuation of her life. She had already survived fleeing the Nazis in WW2.”

 

Jimi on stage in Samara.

 

Irina and Victoria were granted refugee status by Russian authorities and given temporary accommodation in a refugee camp in Samara. They are now into their third year of life there. 

 

"Mum and Gran are very grateful for the help and support they have received but miss their home. I am also very far from them and it is so difficult” added Aleona. 

 

“We were all looking forward to the day when we could return to Volchansk but our town has been turned to burnt rubble. There is nothing to collect. Even the graves of our ancestors have been desecrated and turned inside out. So no, we can never go back. There is nothing for us there."

Jimi said he had met many Ukrainian refugees during his travels in Russia. The precise number of refugees in Russia is unknown but some estimates put the figure as high as two million. "As far as I know that's higher than any other country" added Jimi.

"From Murmansk in the north to Samara in the south I have been approached by a lot of Russian speaking Ukrainians who wished to thank me for being there. Many of the younger ones speak good English so communication is easy. From what I have seen with my own eyes the vast majority of Ukrainian refugees in Russia are women, children and the elderly."

 

Jimi first visited Russia in October 2022 when he was invited to pipe at a week long memorial event in Murmansk commemorating the 80th anniversary of the first wartime arctic convoy to sail from Scotland to Russia. Two of Jimi's great-uncles served on the arctic convoys. One survived the war the other did not.

 

A video diary of the visit to Murmansk put together by Jimi can be viewed here: 

https://youtu.be/HKKcPP28OIg

 

"I do realise that my trips to Russia could be construed as controversial but I'm a humble bagpiper, not a politician, and I'm just doing what I can to try and help prevent WW3 and what will surely be, in a biblical sense, the end of days. How close is doomsday?" said Jimi.

"I studied WW2, particularly the war on the Eastern Front, in considerable detail when I was younger. All my adult life I have known about the immense and decisive contribution made by the Russian people to the great Allied victory over the Nazis. I feel very honoured and frankly quite blessed to have been granted the opportunity in my late middle age to go there and say thank you in person."

 

Alastair and Aleona Christie enjoying a cup of tea at their home in Aberdeenshire.