Grandfather Mountain Highlanders Pipe Band is based in Linville, North Carolina, and was founded in 1974 by Harvey Ritch and Agnes MacRae Morton. The band was created to serve as the host pipe band for the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, one of the most important Scottish gatherings in the United States. The games themselves began in 1956 and are often associated with North Carolina’s deep Scottish Highland heritage.

The band wears MacRae tartan, honouring Agnes MacRae Morton and the close connection between the band, Clan MacRae and the Grandfather Mountain Games. Pipe Bands in North Carolina records the band as organised in 1974, with Harvey Ritch as its first Pipe Major, followed over the years by leaders including Ken Swinton, Ed Krintz, Bill Caudill, Scott McLeod, Gordon Warburton and others.

Grandfather Mountain Highlanders has competed across Grades 2, 3, 4 and 5, while also focusing on developing young players and attracting musicians from a wide area. Its own site marked 2024 as the band’s 50th anniversary, confirming the long run from its 1974 founding.