Pipers from the five regular battalions of the Royal Regiment of Scotland (SCOTS) played at the State Banquet during the visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Windsor Castle. It is the first time that the Royal Regiment of Scotland has been given the honour to be the Sovereign's Pipers at a state banquet.

The pipers had been rehearsing at the headquarters of the Army's School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming at Redford Infantry Barracks in Edinburgh where they marched in and around the headquarters to try and recreate the Windsor Castle setting prior to playing at the state banquet before Her Majesty The Queen and the French President.

Corporal Tripney said: "It was a great honour for me and the regiment and its five regular battalions. It is the first time we have been given the honour to play at a state banquet in front of Her Majesty and we rehearsed at the headquarters to make sure that we got it right on the night, and I am confident that we did.

"The regiment's 12 pipers were drawn from The Royal Scots Borderers (1 SCOTS) The Highland Fusiliers (2 SCOTS) The Black Watch (3 SCOTS) The Highlanders (4 SCOTS) and The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (5 SCOTS) and we each wore the uniforms of each of the battalions' Pipes and Drums giving a wonderful colourful spectacle when we played at the state banquet."

Corporal Tripney serves with The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (5 SCOTS), and is currently attached to the Army School of Bagpipe Music as an instructor.
Since joining up in 2001 he has served in Northern Ireland, Iraq, and throughout the UK.

Alastair is a former pupil of Kilsyth Academy. He is married to Jane, and they live in Kilsyth with sons Kevin (9) and Jack (2). His mum and dad, Dorothy and John, also live in Kilsyth.

In his spare time he enjoys mountain biking.