Latest news with #Skerryvore
The National
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Popular Scottish island music festival announces 2025 line-up
The Tiree Music Festival (TMF), which takes place on the Isle of Tiree between July 11 to 13, will feature the brightest lights in pop, indie, folk and trad including supergroups Skerryvore and Skippinish who are set to perform on the Big Top stage. Acts already announced for TMF's 13th edition include Gaelic trad band Mànran, folk fusion duo The Laurettes and singer-songwriter Kirsteen Harvey. (Image: Tiree Music Festival) The festival's final day will hold an anniversary celebration, with Mànran marking 15 years together and artist Scott Wood celebrating a decade since the release of his acclaimed album Upsurge. Trail West will also be reflecting on 15 years of music, and Highland favourites Torridon celebrating 20 years together. READ MORE: Scotland's rarest and most stunning wild animals to see if you're lucky Rising star Callum Beattie has also been added to the TMF bill and is the final headliner to be announced. Having established himself as one of Scotland's premiere independent artists, he is now swapping the streets of Musselburgh for stages across the UK to embark on a tour. Callum Beattie (Image: Tiree Music Festival) He will perform at TMF alongside several other young Scottish artists, such as Ben Walker and Amy Papiransky. Beattie said: 'Tiree is one of my favourite places on earth, and it's the only Scottish festival we are playing this year, before our Hydro show in November. I love it there – great music and great people.' Daniel Gillespie, artistic director for Tiree Music Festival, said: 'TMF is all about providing a platform for independent artists who capture the hearts and imaginations of our audiences and we know how beloved Callum is among Tiree audiences.' Many up-and-coming indie artists are also set to take the stage this summer including social media sensation Jarad Rowan, Lochaber singer-songwriter Little Win, and trad bands Heron Valley and Culla. Glasgow busking sensation Maria McAveety, and the four-piece Fèis Phàislig Ceilidh Trail will also perform across the weekend. The festival's 2025 theme is "Myths and Legends" and will bring the folklore of Tiree to life for visitors, while silent discos, and a kids area with sandpits, slimebaths, tug o' war and storytelling, will also be on offer. READ MORE: Yellow weather warning issued for parts of Scotland for thunderstorms Special film screenings will run across the weekend from Screen Argyll, including a showing of Disney's Brave introduced by the voice of the soundtrack herself, Julie Fowlis. In a Scottish music festival first, attendees will be offered sauna experiences from Spear Sauna situated on the beachfront. The festival will also feature sound bath relaxation sessions and seaweed foraging walks as well as existing activities such as beach yoga, surf lessons, and tours to Tyree Distillery. Tiree Music Festival will take place between July 11 to 13. A limited number of tickets remain at with foot passenger ferry spaces only available via CalMac
The Herald Scotland
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
How HebCelt festival fights depopulation on Lewis and Harris
Ahead of this year's festivities, which will run between 16 and 19 July, I sat down with the team behind HebCelt's international success to find out what lies at the heart of this remarkable celebration of island culture. Operations Coordinator Carol Ferguson has volunteered at the award-winning festival for the last ten summers, ever since she moved to the Isle of Lewis in 2014. 'I'm excited to see the festival family come back together again. We have volunteers from all over the world, and each year, they come back. 'There are still six weeks until the festival. This is when Stornoway starts to come alive, all the shops start decorating the windows, and there's that buzz that something is coming.' Carol Ferguson is the Operations Coordinator for the festival. (Image: Supplied) Carol's enthusiasm is shared by festival chair Iain Macphail, who first volunteered at the festival 23 years ago. 'I first got involved in 2002 when I was 14,' Iain, who was born and bred in Stornoway, tells me. 'My cousin's mother dragged me along. I started tidying up and stewarding, and before long caught the festival bug. I worked as site security for a while, and then joined the board in 2018. 'I was voted in as chair of the board last September. It's been a new experience, I've been learning a lot.' This year's lineup is chock-a-block with well-known Scots musicians. Tidelines, Skerryvore, and Lulu will headline; with Nina Nesbitt, Eddi Reader, Trail West, Kassidy, and Beluga Lagoon also appearing. Thousands are expected to attend the four-day jamboree, which saw 18,000 people buy tickets last year. In recent years, the festival has gone from strength to strength, generating millions of pounds in revenue for island businesses. An aerial view of the festival. (Image: Supplied) Carol tells me: 'Our impact comes not just from the ticket sales, but our deep commitment to working with our local suppliers. 'So, everything that we can get locally, we absolutely procure locally to give that benefit back.' Iain agrees, adding: 'The festival plays such a huge part in the annual calendar. It's huge. thing for the local economy and has such a positive economic impact. 'We brought in £4.1m for local businesses last year. We expect to have made a £40 million economic impact by our 30th anniversary in 2027, over the lifetime of the festival, which is a pretty incredible achievement, especially when it's run by volunteers. The festival also creates space for island performers to share their music. Last year, 45% of performers during the four-day event hailed from Lewis and Harris. Carol and Iain both point to Elias Alexander, the electro-Celtic artist who got his start volunteering on the tech team a decade ago. The up-and-coming musician is returning to the festival in 2025, this time as a performer on the island stage. Iain says: 'The festival is great for finding local artists as well. It gives them the opportunity to experience what it's like to play at a festival. Elias was a volunteer in 2014, you know, working on the island stage and this year he's playing on it.' Carol adds: 'He started out with us as a volunteer on the tech team, and he's now back on the stage here. And is that progression that we can afford to individuals.' Elias Alexander is one of the performers. (Image: Supplied) HebCelt has led on a number of gender and climate pledges, becoming one of the first major festivals to ban plastic straws and insisting on a 50/50 gender balance for performers. These commitments go beyond a tick box exercise, Carol says. 'Our commitment to gender equality is reflected behind the scenes as well. There is a lot of strong female influence behind the festival as well. But it's not just a tick box for us. 'So our voluntary board is five females and four male, our vice chair Eilidh is female, and our finance director and our music programmer are all females. And I myself as a coordinator. 'It's a value that guides how we program, plan, and operate the festival.' Iain adds: 'We've stood the test of time. As a rural festival, we're really setting a lot of the standards when it comes to sustainability. 'We ran the production offices last year off solar and wind energy and battery storage. We've run the island stage for a period of time using a hydrogen generator which uses locally sourced clean hydrogen. So we're not afraid to try things. 'How can we lower our impact on the climate whilst helping improve things industry wide - because the data is then available for other people to look at.' It's never easy to run a major festival, especially amidst a cost of living crisis. Yet, HebCelt is thriving, in part due to a three-year funding commitment from Creative Scotland. 'This allows for some breathing space. It's allowed us to plan for those three years and we know we have that. So that's been huge for us,' Carol tells me. Read more from Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco: My trek up the Royal Mile — what do tourists say about Scotland's capital? Calls to bring back this 'unique' detail in Princes Square shopping centre 'Trailblazing' Scottish trad legends to be honoured at HebCelt Festival Iain adds: 'This is really good because it allows us to plan positively for the next three years up to our 30th anniversary. So, you know, there's a lot of positives and goodwill and a lot of support helps make it happen. 'Everybody's experiencing the cost-of-living crisis. And we're looking at how we can support that, but at the same time we need to be able to afford to put things on. 'So, this year we've decided to keep the 2025 tickets at 2024 prices. 'We're doing things like that to try and help the wider community and make it more accessible for people.' Asked about what she is looking forward to the most at the festival this year, Carol grins. 'Well there are some things I can't reveal now, but I'm really excited. 'This year's quite a special year. There will be a lot of special programs that are going on as we deepen our community roots and strengthen international partnerships, especially through things like Celtic connections and Showcase Scotland.' Rock band Skerryvore will headline the festival. (Image: Supplied) Iain says he is looking forward to the "phenomenal" lineup. 'We have everything from local kids that are putting on a concert all the way to Lulu and Skerryvore. We've got Tidelines. We've got Beluga Lagoon. 'There's just such a huge variety of exceptional talent coming to play on the island and bless us all with their talent.' HebCelt serves as an example of island excellence, sharing a message that is more important than ever amidst rising costs and depopulation. Carol tells me: 'Depopulation is a real concern across the islands, especially amongst the younger generations. But we as an organization show that the islands can be a place of creativity and opportunity. We're aiming to inspire people to stay.' 'We're always shaped by our people and their belief that culture and connection transforms communities.' Iain agrees, telling me: 'It really expresses what we're about and who we are, you know, as a people, I suppose. It showcases the island, and what can be done. 'We talk about it as the HebCelt family. People think about family as being really nice and warm and fuzzy and everybody's on side and they're working together. 'But it's deeper than that, because the relationships you make with your colleagues, the other volunteers, your colleagues, the other volunteers, the suppliers, your sponsors, they just go deeper. 'Everybody pulls together because they see the benefit that it has for the island and everybody's very, very proud of the island.'
The Herald Scotland
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald Scotland
Client exodus leads Scottish business headlines in May
The decline was driven in large part by the loss of a £4.2bn investment mandate from its biggest client, Phoenix. However, the gap has since been filled by a £6bn quantitative strategy funding win in April, taking institutional inflows into positive territory for the year to date. "Our strategy is to become the UK's leading wealth business and to reposition our investments business to areas of strength and market growth," chief executive Jason Windsor said. "So far this year, we have made good progress against these objectives, despite the current heightened levels of market uncertainty." This news was quickly followed by the announcement that Scottish oil and gas group Parkmead had closed the sale of its of its UK oil assets in the North Sea. Serica Energy handed over an immediate cash payment of £7.3 million, with additional payments potentially bringing the total to £134.3m. The disposal will allow Parkmead to focus on its onshore natural gas and renewable energy projects. Two contingent payments are linked to Parkmead's 50% stakes in Skerryvore and Fynn Beauly, and are payable upon receipt by Serica of approval by the North Sea Transition Authority for any field development plans relating to those projects. This will be calculated at £0.8/bbl of reserves, up to a cap of £30m in relation to Skerryvore and £90m in relation to Fynn Beauly. In an interview with The Herald, the owners of glass and window installation specialist Andrew Wright in Irvine revealed that the firm is on course to break through the £10m turnover barrier this year after taking over the business in 2023. A major employer in North Ayrshire, Andrew Wright currently has 72 members of staff and has been hiring further of late. The company is also looking for a suitable location nearby to build a new purpose-built factory. Higher revenue and profit from auto servicing, parts and repairs helped Vertu partially offset what it declared to be 'the lowest new retail car market for 25 years'. The listed dealer group - which earlier this year changed the name of its Macklin Motors outlets in Scotland to that of Vertu - reported a modest 1.7% rise in turnover to £4.8bn during the year to the end of February, with acquisitions accounting for £124m of the increase. However, pre-tax profit was 15.8% down on the previous period at £29.3m due to the impact of zero emission mandates and consumer caution amid a weak economy. Industry data shows that overall UK car registrations grew 1.2% during the 12 months to February 28, but this was driven entirely by lower-margin fleet sales which represented almost 60% of all new vehicle registrations. Registrations in the more profitable UK private market channel declined by 7.4%, with retail registrations lower than during the pandemic. And finally, a Scottish advisor has launched his own business in a bid to shake up what he has described as a 'complacent' insurance sector. Having resigned from global broker Lockton in October, Scott McLuskey has set up Monteith Corporate Risk with the aim of raising service standards and restoring transparency to the £95bn industry. Operating from offices in Glasgow and London, he says the firm will write £1m in premiums within its first three months of trading.
The Herald Scotland
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
New winter music festival announced for Scottish city
Headline concerts from Skerryvore, Mànran and Elephant Sessions plus some special guest performers like Kinnaris Quintet will help music lovers shake off the post-Christmas haze as the year comes to an end. An all ages daytime concert featuring local artists will also be part of the festival, as well as The Big Ceilidh on the evening of December 31, that has been held at the historic Albert Halls over the last number of years. Stirling Council Leader Cllr Gerry McGarvey said: 'Winterlight will pull people out of that post-festive lull and get their dancing shoes on for some of the best live folk music the country has to offer, right here in the heart of Stirling at our amazing Albert Halls. READ MORE: 'This is the first festival of its kind taking place in Stirling at this time of year – it's fresh and exciting and means the party will continue in Stirling all the way from Christmas into the New Year. This is another fantastic addition to Scotland's festival calendar and I know it will grab the imagination of music fans from across the country and beyond as we continue to showcase our thriving live music and events scene.' Gary Innes of Mànran said: 'We're thrilled to be part of the very first Winterlight Festival! Stirling holds a special place in our hearts, and the Albert Halls has always given us incredible nights to remember. We can't wait to return and hopefully help brighten up the winter season for many!' Lynsey Eckford, VisitScotland's Regional Director, said: 'It's fantastic to see Winterlight at Albert Halls Stirling join our world-class event line up. "Live music is a great way to warm up those winter nights between Christmas and New Year and to bring visitors outside of the summer season, which is really important for tourism businesses in the area. 'Scots trad music is deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of Scotland. Live events and festivals celebrate our history and tradition, offering an authentic and immersive experience that connects visitors with our people and places." 'Tourism and events are among Scotland's most important industries and the second largest growth sector in Scotland's economy. Their success creates a ripple effect which powers a vibrant visitor economy.'
The National
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
200 fans pack into Scottish trad pub for surprise Tide Lines gig
The surprise set was to kick off The Reeling festival week and celebrate the renaming of a stage in the venue's honour at Glasgow's biggest outdoor traditional music festival. The set, announced just two hours beforehand, marked a full-circle moment for the band, who first performed together at the iconic Finnieston pub. Robert Robertson from Tide Lines said: 'The Park Bar means a lot to us, it's where a couple of us first played together, long before Tide Lines officially began. 'To come back and play a surprise set here, in the week The Reeling names a stage after it, just felt really special. 'Our fans turned up and packed the pub out at a couple of hours' notice so the atmosphere was amazing - as it always is in there. READ MORE: 20 years, 7000 fans, one folk family: Skerryvore's castle show was for them 'It felt like a really nice throwback for us, back to when we were very young musicians starting out in Glasgow. 'We can't wait to play the main stage at The Reeling on Friday and to be part of such a brilliant weekend for Scottish music.' Returning to Rouken Glen Park from June 6–8 features performances from Tide Lines, Talisk, RURA, Dougie MacLean, Shooglenifty, Eddi Reader, Breabach and more.
