Young Scots on skating, independence and good times

For the past 11 years, smack-bang in the middle of Fringe Festival, Scotland’s lairy skate scene has travelled far and wide to Edinburgh’s city centre for the annual Pieute birthday party. Falling on the penultimate weekend of August, crowds of twentysomethings take over the city’s Chamber Street, shoving past the tote bag-swinging patrons of the world’s biggest performance arts festival for a day of booze, pals and toasting to good times.

Set up by Robbie Walker (known to his pals as Bob), the annual bash raises a glass to Pieute, the skate shop he founded in 2012 on Candlemaker Row, which stocks ​“Saor Alba” (Free Scotland) tees, caps and ​“Scotland Tap Water” bottles.

Much more than a shop, it’s the centre of the scene for Edinburgh’s finest boarders. And having been in the game for over a decade now, Walker, 36, has big plans for the next couple of years, all in the name of Scottish pride. ​“The world used to love [seeing] ​‘Made in Scotland’, it was seen as a stamp of craftsmanship and quality,” he says.“It still is, but on a tiny scale. I’d like to help bring it back.”

Walker’s a man of his word. Among the goods on sale in Pieute are wallets, earrings, pendants and the Saltire, all lovingly crafted in Leith, a port district north of Edinburgh – and he wants to expand it. ​“If anyone thinks I’m turning into a mad capitalist, wait until we eventually open a factory and see what the idea is. You can judge us correctly after that,” he adds.

We got in on the action at this year’s Pieute birthday party, photographed by Edinburgh native Kaan Olcay, who has been attending the event for years. And this year’s bash was bigger and better than ever. After enjoying free lager, live DJs and prizes during the day, as the sun went down the crowd hit Cowgate, Edinburgh’s hub of clubs, pubs and bars, for a 24-hour blowout.

“There was a pure idyllic atmosphere this year. Utopia for a day vibes,” Walker says. ​“It always is like that, but as the years go on people only get closer, more relaxed, comfortable. Each one is always better than the last for that reason.”

We met some of the faces who showed up for Walker, Pieute and Scotland, below. But first, a message from the man who made it all happen: ​“Love ye’s. Always here if anyone’s wanting a natter. Don’t give notoriety to people who crave it. Forget them.”

Where have you travelled from today?
Leith.

What’s the maddest thing you’ve seen at the Birthday Party?
My boy Morton do a mad finger flip off the kicker. My boy was flying.

Do you hope Scotland will become independent?
Yeah, I hope we do ​’cos England has been fucking us up for time.

Scottish drink of choice/​best hangover cure:
Tennents, and there’s no cure – I always get horrible hangovers.

Give Bob a message:
Love ya lad and I’m super proud of what you’re doing. Keep being you and keep spreading that positivity you always radiate with.

Where have you travelled from today?
Down the road.

What’s your best memory of the Pieute Birthday Jam?
When that boy broke his back two years ago and somebody went up and gave him a banana to make him feel better.

What’s the maddest thing you’ve seen?
Once I saw a jakie steal 10 blocks of Cathedral in Sainsbury’s.

Do you hope Scotland will become independent? If so, why?
I’d like it to happen but I think it’s gonna be very hard due to Westminster being full of arseholes.

What keeps you coming back to the Pieute Birthday Party every year?
Free booze.

Drink of choice/​best hangover cure:
Well since we’re talking about booze, Buckfast or Tennents. And Gilbo’s mum’s weird herb pill hingy.

Give Bob a message:
I love you lots and I’m beyond thankful for everything you’ve done and continue to do for everyone in the community. It never rains for us.

Where have you travelled from today?
Penicuik, an hour bus away.

What’s the maddest thing you’ve seen at the Birthday Party?
Human brains.

Do you hope Scotland becomes independent?
Yes, for many reasons: the unjust voting system, the Tories never leaving, [Scotland] being looked down on.

What are your plans for the rest of the evening?
Get drunk and silly.

Drink of choice/​best hangover cure:
Apparently black pudding is a good hangover cure but I’m not going near that. And obviously Irn-Bru.

Give Bob a message:
Cheers for continuing to organise a space for such a large community every year. You bring the Scottish skate scene closer and closer each time.

Where have you travelled from today?
From my yard five mins around the corner.

What’s the maddest thing you’ve seen at the Birthday Party?
The maddest thing I’ve seen was watching that cat break his back at the jam a few years back for sure. Hesh as fuck.

Do you hope Scotland becomes independent?
I hope with every fibre in my body that Scotland becomes independent. We want our freedom, we want to be in the EU and we want control of our abundant beautiful natural resources.

What do you think of King Charles and the monarchy?
Fuck the King and the Monarchy! I think the concept of a royal family, especially in this day and age, is completely outdated and not needed or wanted by the people of Scotland anyway.

What are your plans for the rest of the evening?
My plan is to get drunk as hell, baby.

Drink of choice/​best hangover cure:
Buckfast wine/​Buckfast wine.

Give Bob a message:
Saor Alba. I’m no dying for these bastards!

Where have your travelled from today?
Leith.

What’s your best memory of the Pieute Birthday Jam?
It has to be Andy White taking an officer’s hat, asking them to lie down in front of the kicker and then ollieing over them.

Do you hope Scotland becomes independent?
I do. Having control over our own trades, resources and funds will allow Scotland to feed its starving families and provide jobs and homes for our homeless. Not to mention Scotland’s drugs policy minister stating their plans to abandon the war on drugs movement, created by the Nixon administration. This is something that no one can ignore as a Scottish citizen, to have a say in real politics and not what fat cunt sits in what chair.

What keeps you coming back to Pieute every year?
Robbie brings everyone from the skate community together so it’s the one time a year I get to see the fam all together laughing.

Drink of choice/​best hangover cure:
Eldorado. It’s shit Bucky but it’s not stepped on by religious nonces in Cornwall.

And the best hangover cure is a pint of water before bed with a wee salt rock on your tongue, and then in the morning get straight out into the sunlight and chill there with a wet cloth on your head.

Give Bob a message:
Robbie, I can’t thank you and praise you enough for the work, effort and planning that goes into these parties. You bring us all in and supply us with free beers and music while creating a loving and supportive community that makes Edinburgh worth skating in. You’re our king Robbi.

Where have you travelled from today?
Nowhere, I’m local.

What’s the maddest thing you’ve seen at the Birthday Party?
The huge squad of organised polis surrounding the jam in 2020 was mental, there was hundreds of them. Kyle getting stabbed today was also pretty mad. He’s okay, though!

What makes Scotland’s skate scene better than anywhere else:
Community I think. Scotland’s such a wee space, everyone looks out for each other and supports one another. It doesn’t feel intimidating to be a girl skater or not very good because people have your back.

What do you think of King Charles and the monarchy?
BOOOOOO!

What keeps you coming back to Pieute every year?
It’s a nice break from the Fringe Festival for the locals to take back some place in the city. Every August Edinburgh is overrun with tourists pushing us out of our spaces. It’s also nice to celebrate Pie and have an event that celebrates local talent whether it’s skaters, photographers, DJs and artists. It’s also great seeing all your pals in one place having fun.

Drink of choice/​best hangover cure:
Smucky, Smirnoff Ice and Bucky. Sounds gross – it’s not. And Pepe’s paneer rice box with extra paneer, hot, loads of garlic mayo and Liptons Peach Iced Tea. Trust me.

Give Bob a message:
Heya Bob, thank you for everything you’ve done for the community in Edinburgh and Scotland. Keep slaying! Pieute gu bràth.

Where have you travelled from today?
I’m currently living in Banff, Alberta in Canada, but I’m from Glasgow.

What makes Scotland’s skate scene better than anywhere else?
To me, skateboarding usually encourages lots of diversity and uniqueness. Scotland specifically breeds creativity. We are constantly faced with skate stoppers and a lack of funding in parks. The street skate culture in Scotland is my favourite because you can really open your imagination to make any infrastructure skateable.

What do you think of King Charles and the monarchy?

I feel like I’m ignorant to the royal family. It really irked me when the photo of the golden carriage came out. I don’t really spend any energy on keeping up to date with them.

What are your plans for the rest of the evening?
Skate at Bristo Square, chill with the homies and avoid Fringe.

Give Bob a message:
Thank you for all the support you’ve given me and to years of beautiful friendship. It means the world to me to see your curiosity and eagerness to learn about how to support LGBTQI+ people. I hope you always smile when you see my name stick and poked across your leg. Love you.