The pipe band was formed on 11th October 1899 under Pipe Major Hector McInnes, accompanied by his two sons on drums and Peter Summers as his Drum-Major. They formed the backbone of the band. Membership grew steadily, practising originally in Townhead School. It was a competing band and had their most notable success in 1909 when it set a world record winning the Argyll and Lauder Shields at the Cowal Games. This was undoubtedly their most successful period, winning many trophies including; county champions between 1902-1905, three Lauder shields and one Argyll third between 1910-1912 and after the Great War a Lauder second and Graham Moffat Cup in 1919.
A history of the band is contained in a booklet written by J R Young and an article in piping today to celebrate the bands achivements also provides history.
The band was self supporting and relied on fund raising events and members contributions to pay for instruments, uniforms and sheet music. In 1935 they appealed for financial support from the community to buy a new set of uniforms. Throughout the next year, various fund raising events took place and they obtained their new uniforms in June 1936. Originally the band wore the Macgregor tartan but later changed to the Hamilton dress tartan in the 1930’s, donated by Mrs Janet Millar (Mrs Millar was a sister of Alexander Hamilton of Kidderminster who gifted the public park to the village).
The band began to decline around 1939-40. Fierce competition from other bands with financial backing put increasing pressure on the Stonehouse band and they found it difficult to compete. Industrial depression, financial problems and differences of opinion began to cause friction within the band. They broke up several times throughout the years but always reformed again. They finally disbanded around the late 1940’s, though the Junior band was still playing into the mid-70’s.
