BUDDING musicians could be playing in style thanks to a group of determined walkers.

Pipe Major Lee Moore is among a group of 10 looking to raise thousands of pounds to buy uniforms for members of Preston Lodge High School Pipe Band.

The fundraisers are walking 874 miles – the distance from Land’s End to John O’Groats – with each uniform costing between £400 and £500.

Mr Moore (pictured below), who has been the pipe major for about 12 years, told the Courier: “During lockdown, I, like many others, have been doing a lot of walking and getting out, especially with teaching being online for so long.

East Lothian Courier: Pipe Major Lee Moore is among those pulling on his walking boots for the good cause

“You need a break and some fresh air every wee while to get rid of screen fatigue.

“We have been stepping it up, and myself and band secretary Catriona Black had a wee competition to see who could do the most steps each day.

“I spotted on Facebook the idea of the ‘end to end challenge’ from Land’s End to John O’Groats virtually.

“I signed up and told Catriona and she signed up too.

“We decided we would do it as a kind of sponsored walk to get some cash in for the uniforms we were looking for.

“We told the parents about it and eight of them have signed up.”

The challenge got under way at the beginning of the month, with each of the 10 walkers already beyond the 100-mile mark.

Mr Moore highlighted that the walking had opened his eyes to what was on offer in Musselburgh, where he lives.

He had enjoyed walking “sporadically” but was now enjoying the great outdoors.

The 47-year-old said: “It has been great. You discover lots of stuff in your own locality that you never knew before and I’ve seen all seasons.

“I regularly walk up along the side of the Esk – you just see it all.”

Walkers are aiming to reach the virtual finish line by the end of August, with hopes of the band marching through Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton, and Longniddry later in the year.

The fundraisers are looking to raise £6,000 for the band, with more than £1,000 already donated by generous members of the public.

The band, which has about 90 members, is made up of pipers and drummers from throughout the Preston Lodge school cluster.

Mr Moore was looking forward to members being able to get back together, with the band’s last performance having been on St Patrick’s Day in Portobello last year.

He said: “It has been very hard. It has been tough and it is a big part of our lives, especially the competing pipe band scene.

“The whole of last season was cancelled and at the moment everything up until June has been cancelled.

“We are keeping our fingers crossed that the World Championships go ahead in August to some degree but it is tough for the kids.

“They have not had that side of it as well to look forward to but they have stuck in.

“Their resilience is amazing.”

To support the pipe band, go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/plhspipeband