The Los Angeles Scottish Pipe Band, popularly known as the L. A. Scots, at the United Scottish Societies Highland Games in Santa Monica, May 1966.

Pipers (back row, left to right) - P/M Jim Thomson, Sam Sweetman, John Creager, Bill MacKenzie, John MacKernan, Ozzie Reid, John Hynd.
Drummers (front row, left to right) - D/S Charlie Capperauld, Jim Oliver, Bass Drummer Willie Capperauld, Llyle MacLeod, Alex Elder.

I played in the band from 1965 until I went into the Army in 1972. During that time, some notable pipers played in the L.A. Scots - Jimmy McColl, Calvin Biggar, and Ian MacDonald (the present P/M's father), to name a few.

The band was Grade A in those days, later renamed Grade I. This is all before the attempt was made to make our band grading correspond with the grades in Scotland. The four Grade A / Grade I bands in the Pacific Coast Pipe Band Association (later to become the WUSPBA) at that time were:

The City of San Francisco Caledonian Pipe Band

(P/M James C. Yardley, D/S Willie McErlean)

The Highland Society Pipe Band of Los Angeles

(P/M John Massie, D/S ?)

The Lockheed Pipe Band, Sunnyvale

(P/M Calvin Biggar, D/S Charlie Cochrane)

The L. A. Scots

(P/M Jim Thomson, D/S Charlie Capperauld)

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