Latest news with #Skerryvore
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Skerryvore and Eddi Reader inducted into HebCelt 'Hall of Fame'
Hosted in Stornoway, the Hebridean Celtic Festival attracts thousands to the isle of Lewis each year. Nearly 18,000 people attended in 2024, generating more than four million pounds for the local economy. Triple Brit winner Eddi Reader is one of the inductees. (Image: Supplied) Festival Operations Coordinator Carol Ferguson feted the inductees, praising their 'remarkable achievements' and 'steadfast support'. She said: 'Eddi has been a trailblazer for Scottish music for decades, celebrated by being awarded an incredible three Brit Awards among her other accolades, reinventing classics and defying convention to deliver original, inspiring and above all much loved songs that have helped shape the sound of Scotland across the years. 'Skerryvore are beloved by HebCelt audiences, consistently one of the most requested acts by our fans, and it is brilliant that they will be celebrating their 20th anniversary with us. Their globetrotting, invention and mastery of the live show is peerless, and they are so deserving of the reception they will undoubtedly receive on the Castle Green. Read more: The festival boss added: 'Willie Campbell is such a gifted guitarist and extraordinary storyteller. From his fledgling days of working with Astrid to supergroup The Reindeer Section, The Open Day Rotation, and now fans favourites The Tumbling Souls, his music, creativity and performances have brought immense pride to the Hebrides and support to the festival that's truly immeasurable. 'Words can scarcely do justice to the legacy of Alex MacDonald. Through vision and dedication, she has transformed the cultural landscape of Lewis, fostered careers, strengthened community ties, and championed the incredible talent of these islands. She is simply, and brilliantly, one of a kind.' Other members of the Hall of Fame include folk singer Dougie MacLean, Capercaillie's Karen Matheson, internationally renowned fiddler Duncan Chisholm, and Gaelic rockers Runrig. The HebCelt festival has run since 1996 (Image: Supplied) The quartet will be honoured throughout the festival, with performances by Eddi Reader and Willie Campbell on Thursday night, and a Saturday night concert by Skerryvore also taking place. Michelle Shields, HebCelt Artist Programmer and Director, added: 'Eddi, Willie, Skerryvore and Alex each hold a special place in the hearts of the HebCelt family. Their influence on Celtic, traditional, Scots and Gaelic music has been profound - and even life-changing for so many. 'Becoming a member of our Hall of Fame is a fitting tribute to their legacy and an absolutely perfect way to celebrate their outstanding contributions.' With the festivities just six weeks away, organisers have urged those interested in attending to purchase tickets now — or risk disappointment.
The National
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
SSEN announced as major sponsor for HebCelt Festival 2025
The agreement forms part of the electricity transmission network operator's commitment to supporting local communities across the Highlands and islands as part of its £20 billion investment to upgrade the high-voltage transmission network in the north of Scotland. As part of the partnership, SSEN Transmission will have a strong presence at this year's festival, which takes place in and around Stornoway in Lewis from June 16-19. It will be headlined by Skerryvore, Tide Lines and Lulu. Other acts on the bill include Eddi Reader, Nina Nesbitt, Kassidy, Beluga Lagoon, Trail West, Laura Silverstone, Josie Duncan, The Tumbling Souls, and Donnie Dòtaman. READ MORE: My holiday in the Highlands was great, but staff shortages are evident Festival-goers will be able to visit SSEN Transmission's information and fan hub on Castle Green, where the team will be on hand to talk about major infrastructure projects, including plans for the 'Lewis Hub' a proposed new substation and converter station that is a key part of its Western Isles Connection Project. The project will see the installation of a subsea HVDC transmission cable that will connect Lewis to the GB electricity grid for the first time. HebCelt festival operations co-ordinator Carol Ferguson, said: 'SSEN Transmission's commitment to our community is incredibly welcome and aligns perfectly with HebCelt's ethos. 'Their recognition of the value of live music and the cultural heartbeat of our islands is something we deeply appreciate." Colin Bell, SSEN Transmission's lead project manager for the Lewis Hub project, said: 'We are delighted to sponsor the HebCelt Festival and lend our support to this much-loved and hugely popular highlight in the cultural calendar of the islands.' 'We're looking forward to engaging with people at this year's festival, and sharing the enjoyment of what promises to be another entertaining event drawing visitors from across the world.' Last year's HebCelt drew more than 17,800 attendees, with the average visitor staying for eight days in Lewis and Harris. According to post-event research, 67% of festival-goers cited HebCelt as the primary reason for their trip, highlighting its pivotal role in the local economy. Thanks to a three-year funding package from Creative Scotland, HebCelt is now looking ahead to its milestone 30th anniversary in 2027 and is looking for other high-calibre sponsorship partners.
Daily Record
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Heartland Festival 2025 given the go-ahead by Perth and Kinross Council
Skerryvore and Kyle Falconer are among the acts due to perform at next month's festival in Pitlochry The organiser of Pitlochry's Heartland Festival dreams of it growing to become a "mini Glastonbury for Scotland". Ticket sales for this year's festival are up 40 per cent on last year's which - while generating £1.8 million for the local economy - is expected to operate at a loss for the second year running. Organiser Graham Howie had not planned on running the festival for a second year - after losing so much last year - but agreed after festival-goers pleaded for the "best festival" to be repeated. The festival director made the revelation as he presented the public entertainment licensing application for Heartland Festival 2025 to Perth and Kinross Licensing Committee on Monday, May 12. It is due to take place at Pitlochry's Recreation Ground from June 28 to 29. Skerryvore, Kyle Falconer, Torridon and Nathan Evans and the St Phx Band are among the headline acts due to perform. Councillors unanimously granted a public entertainment licence for this year's festival. But Cllr Keith Allan challenged Mr Howie on running the festival at a financial loss. Mr Howie said: "In years to come, I think there's a capacity there to bring the event up to 10,000 but if you go over that, you start to lose the community feel. "If you get the ticket pricing right, there's no reason that the festival could be profitable. We have a little advertising this year. We haven't been able to get a sponsor so that's one of my key tasks for August onwards to try and find someone who will sponsor us, without us losing our integrity. It's a difficult call but I believe it's achievable. "The ticketing is a very difficult balance. I priced the early bird tickets too cheaply last year. They were £34 for the weekend so we sold a lot - but it's come back to bite me now because the demand was clearly there. I think if we had sold them at £45/50 - bearing in mind that was half the price - we would have sold the same amount. "I want to keep the prices low as it is a family event but it is a commercial event. If I don't make money then I can't invest in it and grow it." Presenting the application to councillors, Heartland Festival Ltd owner Mr Howie said "the response from the community and the public was absolutely overwhelming" following last year's inaugural event. He added: "One of the biggest compliments we got was that 'it didn't feel like a first-time event, it felt like an event that had been running for years and years'. "I wasn't actually planning to do a second festival because I lost so much money on the first one but that's my loss and my loss to take. "It became clear from the response on Facebook and with emails from people asking if we wanted to do this again. We actually put a post on Facebook asking that very question and - within 20 minutes - we had 300 replies saying 'please run the festival again - it's the best festival we ever went to'. "It will still make a small loss this year but nothing like the amount of money that was lost the previous year. I'd hope that for 2026 and 2027 we'll be into a small profit and then be able to grow it accordingly in conjunction with normal business practices." He cited a Scottish Government document which showed "a benefit of £1.8 million coming into the local economy this year". He added: "Ticket sales for 2025 are 40 per cent up on 2024. We're now expecting in the region of 5000 people on Saturday and nearer 7000 on Sunday so it's a huge improvement on the previous year and shows the popularity of the event. "Support from the community is even higher in numbers and stronger than it was the previous year and I'm very grateful to all the volunteers that help us put on the event." The family-friendly festival is free to children under the age of 13. Teenagers are admitted half-price. There is even a dedicated children's area. There is no camping on site but this year there will be shuttle buses running to four local campsites - Grandtully Station Campsite, Aberfeldy Caravan Park, Faskally Caravan Park and Blair Castle Caravan Park. In addition, there will be a link-up with FlixBus and Citylink which connect the Highland Perthshire village to Scotland's major cities. The festival will finish an hour earlier at 10pm - rather than 11pm - to "minimise disturbance" and allow revellers to leave by bus. The festival's exclusively all-Scottish line-up may however move towards being "predominantly Scottish". Mr Howie said: "I don't know for how long we can keep it exclusively Scottish acts because we're starting to run out already but it will always be a predominantly Scottish act festival." New and unknown acts can gain exposure on the Discovery Stage. Heartland Festival will then promote two of the best Discovery Stage acts to the Main Stage. This year sees last year's Discovery Stage acts David Delinquent and the IOUs as well as Copper Lungs take to the Main Stage. In terms of refreshments, organisers have teamed up with local brewers Wasted Degrees as well as local food vendors and a local gin company. Councillors were assured a "robust traffic management plan" would be in place and - while there will be some traffic restrictions in place to allow traffic to flow - there will be "no road closures". The application received just one objection. A neighbouring resident - who lives 25 metres from the venue - raised concern about noise and disturbance. An Environmental Health officer - who was on site throughout last year's event - said there were "no breaches" and the team received "no complaints". She added: "I spoke to a number of neighbours round about and I think most of them were at the festival." Appealing to councillors to grant the licence, Mr Howie said: "I could take this to Stirling or to Dunfermline but Pitlochry is my home. "And I hope - with the continued support from the council and volunteers - that we can continue this festival and we can grow it into my dream to be a mini Glastonbury of Scotland for future. "I have done everything I possibly can to minimise disturbance to the local community because I am part of that local community. "If you were going to design a park area to put a festival on, the Recreation Ground is the perfect location." The committee's convener, Highland Perthshire councillor Mike Williamson moved the application for approval. It was seconded by vice-convener Iain MacPherson and unanimously approved by the committee.
Press and Journal
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Press and Journal
‘She died of a broken heart': Mum remembers Heather Aird a year after Skye Live tragedy
A year after the sudden death of her daughter at the Skye Live music festival, Heather Aird's mother has spoken of her family's enduring heartbreak. Heather, 49, collapsed at the event in Portree in May 2024. Despite the efforts of emergency crews, she died at the scene. Monica Aird, who lives in Poulton-le-Fylde near Blackpool, revealed that in the weeks leading up to her death, Heather had suffered another personal tragedy. As Monica explained, Heather may have died of a broken heart, having lost the love of her life shortly before making the trip to Skye. Heather lived in Preston with her partner, Darren, and held a job she loved, despite its challenges. She managed the prison library at HMP Preston, having previously worked in the city's Harris Library, and before that in administrative jobs. Monica said Heather put her 'heart and soul' into her work. Because her job was so all-consuming, she ensured that every moment outside of work was spent doing the things she loved. With a Scottish father from Ayrshire, Heather often felt the pull of heading north. On weekends, she would immerse herself in the company of musicians and traditional music fans. 'She was into traditional music,' Monica said. 'In fact, an up-and-coming group of musicians met up last Sunday in the Glad Cafe in Glasgow, and all these people sang a song for Heather.' Monica, Heather's brother Andrew and her uncle attended the event. Monica said: 'It was lovely, something very emotional and special. 'It was something that we had not really appreciated about Heather, that she had helped lots of musicians. 'She always bought their CDs and supported them.' Heather's list of favourite bands reads like a who's who of Scottish music: Skerryvore, Tide Lines, Stornoway rockers Peat and Diesel, and Blue Rose Code. Monica continued: 'Skerryvore were singing at the festival when Heather collapsed and died. We had a beautiful message from the band members of Skerryvore after it happened. 'That meant a lot to us.' Heather had lived with Crohn's disease and required regular injections, but she had no other known medical conditions. Therefore, her death came as a complete shock to her family. An inquest into her death at Skye Live, held in Inverness, revealed she had suffered an aortic dissection. Monica said: 'When she got to Broadford, she was in a lot of pain, which may have been a warning about her aorta, and that it was about to give way. 'It was sad and such a shock. She was staying in the hostel. This was her third time at Skye Live. 'She kept in touch with me all the time, and I hadn't heard from her. 'I phoned the hostel to ask if they had seen her, and they said, 'You'll have to contact the police; they have taken her things.' 'I really did not know what had happened. At the same time as I was phoning, a police lady arrived at my door.' Monica was told that at the time of her death, Heather had been standing with someone she had been talking to. This person was with Heather when she collapsed. 'They said she was having such fun.' Monica said she was glad to hear that her daughter was enjoying the festival, because in the weeks leading up to Skye Live, her life had been struck by tragedy. 'Her partner had died in the weeks leading up to Skye Live, and as she had booked all of her travel and accommodation in advance, she decided she would go. 'She tried to remain positive after Darren's death, and she would say, 'I am alive; I need to keep living.' 'But to me, it seems like she had a broken heart, and I think that is what she died of. She was heartbroken to lose Darren. 'The person she was talking to just before she collapsed said she was talking about Darren.' Monica continued: 'Grief hits you in waves. When it comes over me, I just have to let it pass. It has been a tough year, and it is desperate to think that it is not going to go away; it is going to be all the time. 'I have a lot of friends and a supportive family. But I miss the love she gave me and all the phone calls and outings. She was a very special daughter. 'When she found Darren a little bit later on in life, she found love. But that was cruelly taken away.'
The Courier
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Pitlochry's Heartland festival returns with Kyle Falconer and Skerryvore
The organiser of Pitlochry's Heartland Festival says he dreams of it growing to become a 'mini Glastonbury for Scotland'. This year's gathering on June 28-29 will feature acts such as Skerryvore and Kyle Falconer. Around 5,000 people are expected on the Saturday and 7,000 on the Sunday. And it's forecast to generate £1.8 million for the local economy. Heartland Festival 2025 will once again take place at Pitlochry's Recreation Ground. Organiser Graham Howie has admitted he didn't plan on bringing it back after he lost so much money on last year's event. It featured the likes of The View, Idlewild and Skerryvore. But he says he agreed to it after people pleaded for a repeat of the 'best festival' they'd ever been to. Mr Howie was speaking as he presented his application for a public entertainment licence to Perth and Kinross licensing committee on Monday. The Heartland Festival director told councillors the response from the community and the public to last year's event had been 'absolutely overwhelming'. 'I could take this to Stirling or to Dunfermline,' he added. 'But Pitlochry is my home. 'And I hope – with the continued support from the council and volunteers – that we can continue this festival and we can grow it into my dream to be a mini Glastonbury of Scotland for future.' There is no camping on site. But there will be shuttle buses running to four local campsites – Grandtully Station Campsite, Aberfeldy Caravan Park, Faskally Caravan Park and Blair Castle Caravan Park. In addition, there will be a link-up with FlixBus and Citylink, connecting the Highland Perthshire village to Scotland's major cities. The festival will finish an hour earlier at 10pm – rather than 11pm – to minimise disturbance and allow revellers to leave by bus. Councillors were assured a 'robust traffic management plan' will be in place. And while there will be some traffic restrictions in place there will be no road closures. The application received just one objection. A neighbour, who lives 25 metres from the venue, raised concerns about noise and disturbance. But an environmental health officer, who was on site throughout last year's event, said there were no breaches and the team received no complaints. She added: 'I spoke to a number of neighbours round about and I think most of them were at the festival.' The committee unanimously approved the application.
