Scots pipers to star at the Olympics

Aug 3 2008 By Grace Macaskill

IT is the pipe band equivalent of Albion Rovers reaching the Champions League final.

Mains of Fintry Band - a lowly grade four in piping ranking - are to star at the Olympic opening ceremony.

The band, from Dundee, will play to a global TV audience of four billion people when the games open in Beijing on Friday.

They landed the once-in-a-lifetime gig after a Chinese official saw them play at a festival in France.

The band - who arrived in Beijing two days ago - and their families have been sworn to secrecy.

But a piping source confirmed the engagement and added: "It's incredible but if the Chinese had wanted a top pipe band, it's unlikely Mains would have been first choice."

Only one relative of a band member would admit they were in China.

He said: "It's pretty amazing because they're quite a wee pipe band.

"They'll be performing inside the stadium at the opening ceremony. I was only told just before they left but the Chinese have told everyone they can't say anything about it."

The Chinese were on a "scouting mission" for acts when they saw the 16-strong band in France.

They are not the only Scots taking part in the Games - they join nine BBC Scotland and four track and field stars among the 30 Scots in Team GB.