LAKEVILLE — With just a few weeks of competition remaining, the Old Colony Highlanders bagpipe band is finishing the 2024 season strong. 

The band, which practices in Lakeville, placed first overall at the Vermont Scottish Festival and Games that were held in Quechee, VT the weekend of Aug. 24-25. 

The band placed first across all judging categories which include piping, drumming and ensemble, and was awarded the distinction of being “Above Grade Level” for its drumming performance. 

This performance comes hot off the tails of the band scoring third place at the North American Pipe Band Championships at the beginning of August. Prior to that, the band placed second out 18 at the Glasgow Lands Games in western Massachusetts in July and won three other competitions this season, according to members. 

The band has two more competitions this season. Old Colony Highlanders will play in the Northeastern United States Pipe Band Championships at the Capital District Scottish Games in Altamont, NY, on Labor Day weekend and the Pipe Band Championships at the New Hampshire Highland Games at Loon Mountain later on in September. 

Old Colony Highlanders is a Grade 5 Pipe band. A pipe band’s grade is determined based on skill level, and ranges from 1 to 5, with 1 being the highest ranking a band can have. 

The Lakeville-based Pipe band is ranked second out of 81 Grade 5 bands in the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association, according to the band.