THE newly crowned world piping champions from Scotland have been blocked from conducting a victory march through a main street because of objections from transport officials.

Organisers of the celebration of the Inveraray and District Pipe Band's world championships win say their plans have been scuppered saying they were told by Transport Scotland officials that a road closure order could not be agreed in time for the ten-minute Saturday evening parade.

And they have been advised that without a road closure for the Main Street in Inveraray, the march to celebrate the Scotland's newest world champions cannot go ahead.

The effective ban has been strongly criticised at a time when controversial marches regularly take place involving the Orange Order and Irish republican groups.

Former Inveraray Community Council convener, Iain MacAskill who said funds have been raised for the event said: "Inverary reached a fantastic milestone in winning this world championships and they have really put the town on the map and we wanted to give them some recognition for that. But it isn't working out for us.

"I would argue that we don't need road closures, because through the layout of the town, we could keep the traffic moving, we would not have the traffic stood still at all. This is Inveraray, it's not George Square or anything like that."

The band won the World Pipe Band Championships, fighting off a strong challenge from last year's Northern Irish victors, Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band, who came second.

The Inveraray band is only the second Scots band to win the world title in the past 12 years. Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band has won seven world titles over that period.

The community council organisers had contacted Transport Scotland on Tuesday, after police at a local station made contact after seeing a Facebook post about the proposed parade, and asking if the relevant closure orders were in place.

But after transport officials said it was a no-no, it has now even been suggested that the band march on the pavements of the main street in a desperate attempt to get round the edict.

A separate source close to the band said it had been considered that there could be a 'march up the Main Street and be damned' attitude, adding that he would be sure local crowd funding would pay any penalties incurred.

The source said: "Is this not a severe case of officialdom being petty and bloody minded and not seeing the bigger picture."

But Mr MacAskill indicated that the realistic alternative is to organise the parade on a quieter street elsewhere in the town. Mr MacAskill added: "I offered to carry out any traffic management required, I offered to provide escort vehicles. I don't know what else we could have done. We are talking about five or ten to march to the church.

"Transport Scotland have told me we cannot occupy that road. They have told me we need the relevant notifications to be in place. I was told that due to the timescales it wasn't possible as they would need to advertise it and notify certain people and it just wasn't possible."

Jim McMillan, the Inveraray band manager said: "In the past when we won a Grade 2 (world competition) we just bailed off the bus and just marched up the street, and didn't ask anyone's permission and nobody ever said anything about it. It was a great night. But maybe it is because they have asked for permission on an official basis there has been difficulty about it.

"We didn't apply for a licence for this but you'd have thought they might have seen a wee bit of sense in the circumstances. That's what is happening now with health and safety and everything else, I suppose.

"It was suggested we could march up the pavements, two on each side but the plan is now to march on another road, The Avenue, but it obviously won't be as big a spectacle."

Inveraray Pipe Band reformed 13 years ago after 68 years as a novice juvenile pipe band and moved through the grades to finally win the Worlds in Glasgow.

Almost 35,000 people attended the two-day world piping championships event held on Glasgow Green.

A total of 219 bands including 8,000 pipers from 15 nations took park in the contest, now in its 70th year.

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “Transport Scotland works with communities across the country to hold events on the trunk road network.

“We discussed Inveraray Community Council’s request with Police Scotland but due to the short notice the required legal instruments couldn’t be put in place before Saturday.”