HELENSBURGH’S Commodore Hotel hosted a successful ceilidh night at the weekend, raising more than £500 for the Bicentenary Pipe Band Championships in the town this summer.

The family event, held on Saturday, March 9, added a further £532 to the £9,200 pot for the showpiece occasion at East King Street Park in June.

READ MORE: Helensburgh announced as host for piping championships.

Organised by the Bicentenary Pipe Band Championships Committee, Sir Malcolm Colquhoun, Patron of Helensburgh Clan Colquhoun Pipe Band (HCCPB), and Lady Colquhoun attended the event and presented a new award for the first time - the Lady Colquhoun Shield - to the band’s ‘top student’, James Forsyth.

James, a snare drummer, also received a crystal engraved ‘keeper trophy’ for his exceptional progress and commitment to the band, having first learned the snare drum at HCCPB under the tuition of James Gunn.

He is now leading drummer at the age of 17 and teaches the young learners.

The new shield will be presented annually to the band member showing the most progress.

The committee thanked all who contributed to the success of the ceilidh including HCCPB, Margaret Rose School of Dance, Hell for Leather Folk/Ceilidh Band, this year’s juvenile guests singer Skye Campbell Birnie, 15, and her sister Eden, 13, a student of the Scottish Ballet Academy performing her latest competition ballet dance, Sir Malcolm and Lady Colquhoun, MC Eric Wallace, the Commodore management and staff for their excellent support and all members of the public who attended.