£420,000 boost from festival

MUSIC fans from home and abroad helped generate £420,000 for the Uist and Benbecula economy and safeguarded eight tourism-related jobs, a study has revealed.

In only its second year, the Eilean Dorcha Festival (EDF) on the Isle of Benbecula attracted a sell-out crowd of 3,000 over two days, a 141 per cent increase on year one.

The independent economic impact study calculated that the public subsidy of £33,500 secured to back the festival generated a visitor spend of around £420,000.

The survey found that more than half of festival goers came from outwith the Hebrides, with 28 per cent staying on the islands for more than a week. The festival ran from July 28-29.