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Born in Campbeltown, Kintyre in 1942 into the famous MacCallum piping family, Hugh started piping at the age of nine. After early instruction from his brother Ronald, he had a period of about one year with Pipe Major John MacKenzie, a family friend. When John emigrated to Rhodesia in 1953, Hugh's father sent him to Inveraray to have tuition from his cousin Pipe Major Ronnie MacCallum M.B.E., (Gold Medallist Inverness and Oban) who was at that time piper to the Duke of Argyll. Thus began a long association with one of Scotland's best,and best known, pipers. Ronnie's teacher was William Thomson, a pupil of Ronald MacKenzie, nephew of the famous John Ban MacKenzie. The MacCallums also have genealogical and teaching links to the piping and bardic families of MacArthurs (Skye), McAllisters (Kintyre) and McMurchys (Kintyre). Hugh's great great great grand-father John McAllister was the winner of the prize pipe at Falkirk Tryst in 1782.
Hugh played for a time with the Ceannloch Pipe Band, Campbeltown, and with the 8th Argylls (TA) Band, and after a successful junior solo career, he took the plunge and joined the ranks of professional competitive playing at the age of eighteen. There followed numerous competitive successes including the Gold Medals at Oban and Inverness, the Gold Clasp (4 times), the Open Senior Piobaireachd (6 times), the Portree Clasp (6 times), the Silver Chanter (6 times), the Glenfiddich Championship, and many others. Hugh's nephew Willie continues to uphold the MacCallum tradition very successfully.
Since retiring from competitive playing, Hugh devotes some of his time to teaching, mainly at Summer Schools in Scotland and overseas. In 1978, he set up a Summer School for Highland Bagpipe at The University of Stirling at which he still teaches. He also takes private students on a limited basis. In 1995 The National Trust for Scotland commissioned him to compose a piobaireachd to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the landing of Prince Charles Edward Stuart at Glenfinnan in August 1745. Hugh played this tune entitled The Raising of the Standard at Glenfinnan at a special ceremony at the monument at Glenfinnan. |
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