A Canadian university band has won the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow.

The Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, from Burnaby in British Columbia, won the main Grade One prize after performing in front of a record crowd of more than 20,000 people.

It has previously won the prize in 1995, 1996 and 1999.

Last year's winners, Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band, came second, while the Field Marshall Montgomery from County Down, Northern Ireland, came third.

Worldwide

As many as 6,000 bagpipers and drummers competed in the championships, held in Glasgow Green.

Bands from as far a field as Australia, Oman and Japan were among the entrants.

The event has been staged every year since 1947 by the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association.

The day-long championships culminated in a Grand Finale in which all the bands saluted the Chieftan of the Gathering, Baillie Elisabeth Cameron, who is convenor of Glasgow City Council's culture and leisure services committee.

'Enthusiasm'

A spokeswoman for the council, which co-organised the event, said: "As well as Scottish bands, bands from Northern Ireland and Canada did particularly well across all grades.

"It has been an absolutely fantastic day with record breaking crowd of over 20,000. The weather clearly didn't put anybody off or dampen anyone's enthusiasm to see the best pipe bands in the world."

A panel of adjudicators, who have to pass an exam and gain certificates of competence from the RSPBA, judged the competitions.

Two adjudicators judged piping skills, while a third concentrated on the percussion and a fourth awarded marks for ensemble.