For more than 50 years, the Border Highlanders Pipes & Drums have shared Scottish music and culture with the Palouse. We're a welcoming group (no Scottish ancestry required), with members ranging from teenagers to folks in their 70s.
We take our music seriously and work hard to keep improving (the band rehearses weekly, and all members practice regularly), but just as important to us is the camaraderie and community that come with playing together.
We perform year-round at parades, community events, concerts, and Highland Games, and we've hosted an annual Robert Burns Night for more than 30 years. We also welcome beginners and offer several ways to get started. If you're interested in learning more, we'd love to hear from you at our Contact page.
The Border Highlanders Pipes & Drums were founded in 1974 by a small group of enthusiasts who first met at the University of Idaho Student Union Building (now the Pitman Center). The band originally went by the name "Palouse Pipers," but within a few years adopted the name Border Highlanders.
Kirk McMichael, 1935-2025
After several Pipe Majors in the early years, Kirk McMichael took on the role in 1984 and served until his retirement in 2014. Our current Pipe Major, Ben Hunter, has led the band since then.
For the first four decades, the Border Highlanders wore loosely coordinated uniforms, with members typically playing in their own kilts (often their family tartans).
For a time, the band had a tartan school bus. It was not a reliable vehicle.
In 2013, the band moved to a matching set of kilts in the Fraser Hunting Ancient tartan, which we still wear today. In 2022, we added a second uniform in the newly created University of Idaho Vandal tartan. These are worn at university-sponsored events such as Commencement and the U of I Homecoming Parade.
