Top bands lined up for two-day music festival in Perthshire

Preparations are well in hand for the Highland Perthshire music festival March Into Pitlochry.

Building on the success of the first two years, the third annual festival features more than 20 bands performing at Pitlochry Town Hall and McKays Hotel on March 23 and 24.

The organisers, who are all volunteers, admit they face a fight to balance the books, with grant aid drying up.

The team have been fundraising over the past 12 months, with a programme of Saturday sessions and securing backing from various sponsors.

“We committed last year to putting together a third festival and have lined up a top-notch programme, with bands from every point of the compass,” said local businessman Stephen Carruthers.

“I don’t know if we are suffering from cutbacks in general when it comes to funding support for arts and culture but grant aid does seem difficult to come by.

“Fortunately Belhaven are again on board as our major sponsor and have been very supportive. We are also grateful to more than a dozen backers from all over Perthshire who have given us vital support.

“We have learned lessons from the first two festivals. As we had been warned by organisers of other festivals, we were braced for a thumping loss in year one.”

“But last year we were nearly 40% up in audience numbers and gained a lot of positive feedback on the whole event, which encouraged us to press on.”

The festival, which will again support Parkinsons UK, has boosted the local economy during the off-season.

“There’s no question it has been good for Pitlochry especially as the festival precedes Easter,” said Mr Carruthers.

The Friday night headliners are Britain’s best part-time band winners Bombskare, from Edinburgh, and the Saturday bill is topped by Glasgow indie band Attic Lights. There will also be a Saturday afternoon acoustic session.