The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
THE ISLANDS
From music festivals to the great outdoors, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Singer KT Tunstall will make her way from sunny California, where she now lives, to beautiful Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis in July, as she is headlining the internationallyrenowned Hebridean Celtic Festival.
The festival, fondly known as HebCelt, runs from July 17-20 and features almost 30 international acts in the main arena programme – including other headliners The Shires and Tide Lines – along with events in various venues in Lewis and Harris.
In the 15 years since KT first burst on to the music scene, she has become one of the UK’s most enduring singer-songwriters, collecting a host of awards and selling millions of copies of songs, including Suddenly I See and Other Side of the World.
Of her trip to the Outer Hebrides, KT said: “I just absolutely love this part of the world.
“You can travel all over the globe and there’s nothing like the Scottish isles.
“Even the journey getting to Stornoway is a total adventure.
“I remember last time I played HebCelt I was gifted a beautiful custom-made Harris Tweed jacket – it was great to wear something truly Scottish for the occasion.
“And then of course there’s the
crowd, and being Scottish myself, there’s such a great feeling of coming home and singing our lungs out together along with a beer or four.”
It’s eight years since her last appearance at the festival, which has grown from a small event attracting fewer than 1,000 fans to an international, multiple-awardwinning showpiece for roots, Celtic and traditional music.
The Shires will headline the Saturday programme of the event.
Other acts appearing include Newton Faulkner, one of the UK’s most successful singer-songwriters, while the vibrant Scottish traditional and modern music scene is showcased via bands such as Talisk, Manran and FARA.
Also appearing is contemporary Gaelic singer Kim Carnie, who is the voice of THQ Nordic’s Black Mirror video game, and six-piece traditional outfit Beinn Lee, from Uist – a band whose combination of accordion, fiddle, pipes/flute, guitar, piano, drums and vocals have made them increasingly in demand at festivals, including HebCelt and Celtic Connections.
For full details of the Hebridean Celtic Festival visit hebceltfest.com
But HebCelt is just one reason to visit the Highlands and Islands.
Last year, prestigious guide, Lonely Planet declared Scotland’s Highlands and Islands one of the world’s top regions in the world for travellers in 2019.
Tom Hall, Lonely Planet’s editorial director, said: “The wild landscapes of Scotland’s Highlands and Islands offer the ultimate escape and visiting the region’s remote areas is now easier than ever thanks to impressive developments in accommodation.
“This is a stunning area with so much to offer travellers, from its glorious natural landscape and rich history, to enviable local food and drink.”
Unmissable experiences recommended by the guide include savouring the region’s sought-after seafood at fine restaurants such as Skye’s Oyster Shed or Lewis’s Scallop Shack, or joining a naturewatching trip to discover the wealth of wildlife, from red deer, golden eagles and otters to whales, dolphins and basking sharks that are regularly spotted there.
Orkney Garden Festival
Between July 4-14 there’s a chance to visit 28 of some of Orkney’s most lovely gardens, with talks and workshops also taking place. www.orkney.com
tiree Music Festival
Organised by local musicians Daniel Gillespie and Stewart MacLennan, this unique festival takes place on the tiny Hebridean island of Tiree, from July 12-14. www.tireemusicfestival.co.uk
arMadale castle, Gardens and MuseuM
The Skye visitor attraction has a lively music and event programme and is fast becoming a foodie destination too, with a new cafe/bar and restaurant. www.armadalecastle.com
shetland nature Festival
This festival, taking place from July 6-14, lets visitors experience, firsthand, some of the superb wildlife to be found across the Shetland Isles.
That’s everything from puffins to killer whales and rare flowers. www.shetlandnaturefestival.co.uk
shetland Fiddle Frenzy
Shetland Arts celebrates the Shetland Fiddle tradition with a week of events, centred on workshops and masterclasses teaching the distinctive tunes and techniques of the instrument.
During the week there’s a host of fringe events and evening concerts on offer from Sunday July 14. www.shetlandarts.org
eilean dOrcha Festival
Based on the Isle of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, this familyfriendly festival offers all sorts of music ranging from ceilidh and country to pop and reggae.
It takes place on July 26 and 27 at Liniclate Machair. www.edf.scot
nOrth rOnaldsay sheep Festival
If you’re after a unique experience then this festival ticks that box.
Taking place from July 29 to August 9, the festival raises awareness of the island’s famous flock of seaweed-eating sheep. www.orkney.com
Orkney rOck Festival
This rock festival takes place from August 29 to September 1 and, along with the main all-day event, there’s lots of free gigs taking place in Kirkwall’s pubs. www.orkney.com