Singer Fowlis pays tribute to Runrig ahead of farewell set
GAELIC singer Julie Fowlis has paid tribute to Celtic rockers Runrig ahead of their final concerts this week.
She will perform a set before Runrig take to the stage for their final two shows – “The Last Dance” – in front of 25,000 fans each night in Stirling’s City Park.
The sold-out concerts on Friday and Saturday come 30 years after Ms Fowlis appeared in a video of the Skye band while still in primary school in North Uist.
Ms Fowlis, 40, said: “It feels like it has come full circle in so many ways. It’s a huge honour to be opening for them on their final concerts.
“They’ve been around for as long as I’ve been alive and their music has been a constant in my life.
“When I was in primary school I got to be in one of their music videos and it feels amazing to have come to this point in my life when not only can I count them as friends but they are so inspiring, and they’ve done so much for the Gaelic language it’s hard to quantify.
“We meet people all the time, especially abroad, who have learned Gaelic, who have travelled to Scotland and supported Scottish artists – all because of contact with Runrig.
“It will only be looking back in times to come that we will really recognise the significance of their legacy.”
Plans to bring down the curtain on Runrig’s 45-year career with a farewell concert in Stirling were announced last year.
The band initially planned to hold one concert, but all 25,000 tickets sold out in record time and they had to add a second date, on Friday, which also sold out.