Cairncross Award 2025

The Rotary Club of Perth Cairncross Award is made to an individual, recognised for doing good charitable works in the local community and who has been nominated from within the community.

The award is made annually and consists of a small trophy, which is held by the award winner for the year, and a cheque for £250, which is payable to a charity nominated by the award winner.

In 2025 we are delighted to award Eileen Waterston the Cairncross Award for her many years of work supporting Perth residents with the encouragement to learn and to perform music through the now named “Perform in Perth” Perthshire Musical Festival.

Beverley Callander, President of The Rotary Club of Perth says “There are generations of Perthshire residents who recognise the Perthshire Music Festival’s support for their music enjoyment and performance confidence.  We are delighted to recognise Eileen’s significant contribution to the Festival over many years, and thus to musical performance participation in Perth, by awarding her this Trophy.”

Born and raised in Dundee, Eileen attended Harris Academy for thirteen years, going on to study music at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow (1966 - 1969), followed by a year of teacher training in Aberdeen.

Classroom and private teaching in Dundee, many musical performances (choral, operatic and orchestral), the births of two sons, and a move to Crieff in 1984 led to a part-time (later full-time) woodwind-teaching post with Perth & Kinross Instrumental Music Service alongside some supply classroom teaching.  Eileen had participated, as a pupil and a teacher, in Dundee Schools' Music Festival, and was glad to find that Perthshire Music Festival was very much on the agenda at the first in-service training session in Perth, under Eoin Bennet.  

Now using the working title 'Perform in Perth', Perthshire Musical (Competition) Festival has, in recent years, celebrated its centenary (2021), and its hundredth festival (2024), providing performing opportunities to thousands every year.  Eileen served as its Music Secretary from 2004, finally stepping up to be its Secretary in 2019.

In June 2022, the organisation received the ultimate award for voluntary organisations, the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, the equivalent of an MBE, one of the final groups to receive this award.

For eighteen years, Eileen represented all the Scottish competitive festivals at the British & International Federation of Festivals for Music, Dance and Speech.

Although officially retired, Eileen continues to help the P&K IMS, plays bassoon in Perth Symphony Orchestra (and other orchestras) and is currently the Chair of PSO.