Tropical paradise? No, it’s Tiree festival

It might be hard to believe but Michael Wallace was serving up colourful cocktails in glorious sunshine at the Tiree Music Festival at the weekend. The event was a sell-out for the ninth year in succession and was hailed a scorching success by the organisers.

Whatever the weather, sunshine and showers – Tiree Musical Festival was a scorcher.

For the ninth successive year, the three-day festival right by the sea was a sell-out.

Around 2,000 revellers headed by foot, car, ferry, bike and plane to get to the family fun and music extravaganza.

Pop rock band The Hoosiers, Skerryvore, Skipinnish, HoRo, Wolfstone, Rura and Be Charlotte were headlining names that drew in the cheering and foot-stomping crowds who filled the blue Big Top area to the max. Outside, raising the festival fever temperature even higher between the acts was a breathtaking, flame-throwing and fire-dancing troupe.

Be Charlotte got Saturday night’s party rocking and told the crowd: ‘I wanted to play at Tiree years ago when I was doing my acoustic stuff but it never happened so I’m so grateful to have been invited this time. Thank you, Tiree.’

Outside in the festival village, the food market had lots to tempt the tastebuds from pakoras to oysters and venison burgers to good old stovies.

The merchandise tent did a brisk trade selling ‘been there done it’ T-shirts and hoodies.

A storytelling tent, cinema and community stage were just some of the other attractions away from the Big Top and Elevate stages.

Festival-seekers who travelled from afar were joined by a big turnout of locals at what must be one of the island’s biggest and best parties of the year.