Leonard Brown. leonard is one of the busiest accordion players in the country. He is in great demand as a solo performer, band leader, session musician and guest artiste at accordion and fiddle clubs throughout the country. Leonard competed in October 2012 at the Perth Accordion and Fiddle Festival and won to became only the second Englishman to be crowned All Scotland Accordion Champion. Leonard has teamed up with fiddle player Maggie Adamson from Shetland and released two albums - Shades of Shetland and Encore, as well as two sell out tours in 2022 and 2023.
Maggie Adamson. Maggie is one of Shetland's most celebrated traditional fiddlers, renowned for her exquisite playing.Not just content with being current 'Shetland Sportsperson of the Year' for her sailing exploits, Maggie Adamson also happens to be one of Shetland's finest fiddle players, with countless awards under her belt including Glenfiddich Championships, Danny Kyle Awards and Trad Awards nominations. Influenced by classical, jazz and traditional sounds, she has performed all over the world in her own right but also touring with legendary singer, Donnie Munro, and various dance and swing bands throughout her career.

Saturday Afternoon Family Concert

Mellow Yellow kids choir, Mellow Yellow Adults, Ardersier Forté with others to be arranged.

The Concert is entry by donation and is a Family Friendly event where we try to give as many young people the opportunity to perform as possible - By young of course we also include 'Young at Heart'

Saturday Concert

Sylvia McGowan. Sylvia is a singer songwriter and song leader from Edinburgh and sings regularly in the local folk scene in and around Edinburgh and beyond. While singing with Stairheid Gossip (A capella folk) they recorded 2 albums and performed at folk festivals around the UK and Ireland. Sylvia has been leading very successful workshops over many years and loves working with people who are "scared to sing" believing if you would love to sing then come along and just do it. Sylvia has run the workshops at the festival since it started in 2019 and they have been highly praised by all who attended.


The Hannah Rarity Trio. Hannah is a leading figure in the Scottish folk scene, celebrated for her exceptional voice and dynamic musical presence. Since winning the prestigious BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year award in 2018, she has consistently impressed audiences and critics alike. Known for her hauntingly beautiful voice and, increasingly, her poignant self-penned songs, Hannah effortlessly blends folk, contemporary, and original material, drawing comparisons to vocal legends like Eva Cassidy and Joan Baez. A versatile performer, she is in high demand as a collaborator, session vocalist, tutor, and MC, hosting Celtic Connections' renowned Late Night Sessions & Brew and A Blether. Her career highlights include featured performances in 'A Celtic Christmas Sojourn' alongside The Fretless, with Brian O'Donovan & WGBH in Boston (2018), collaborations with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at Proms in the Park, and numerous UK television appearances, including BBC Hogmanay (2015, 2017, and 2020).

Sunday Closing Concert

Paul Tonberg Song Writing Shield Finalists

Maria Miller. Maria is a singer-songwriter based in Elgin, Moray. She likes to play songs that are fun, upbeat and tell a tale. They can be about Scotland's past or present or about some of its many characters. At present Maria is a member of the Celtic-folk band, Dougal's Jumper, who are busy recording their debut album.




Wendy Weatherby Band

Wendy's wide musical interests have led her to sing and play at folk and jazz events worldwide. Her own CDs: 'A Breath on the Cold Glass', 'Two Loves' (Lochshore) and 'A Shirt of Silk or Snow' (Fellside) show her love of song as well as instrumental work; she was nominated in the Scots Trad Awards 2010 as 'Traditional Singer of the Year'. Her commissions for Celtic Connections - 'Daybreak on the World's Edge', poems of William Soutar set for cello quartet and three male voices, and a large scale work based on Lewis Grassic Gibbon's 'Sunset Song' - feature some of the best traditional musicians in Scotland.
Sandy Brechin, from Edinburgh, is one of the greatest exponents of the Scottish accordion. He is well known throughout the world, having toured and recorded extensively with Bùrach, Seelyhoo, The Sandy Brechin Band and his incredibly popular ceilidh band, The Sensational Jimi Shandrix Experience. Theatre shows include Mull Theatre's 'The Accidental Death of an Accordionist' and 'The Mini-atures' for the Highland Festival.
Stevie Lawrence was initially involved in rock bands from his school days and was active in the Glasgow pub rock scene before turning to acoustic and roots music in the early eighties. He worked with Cruachan for six years, playing festivals and folk clubs all over Scotland before joining Iron Horse, recording three albums with the band as well as touring all over the UK, Europe, Russia and Egypt. After leaving Iron Horse, Stevie carved a career as a session musician and producer.
Fiona is a fiddler from Glasgow who was classically trained by Bill Baxter (who played with the famous Halley Orchestra) and then discovered the world of folk music after leaving school. Since then, she has been involved primarily in the ceilidh scene, playing all over the country with a variety of ceilidh bands. Along with The Wendy Weatherby Band, Fiona also plays with Rallion, and as a duo with Stevie Lawrence. Fiona teaches fiddle at Glasgow Fiddle Workshop.

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                                                                                                                                                                            Audience Comments

"Another brilliant Ceilidh by the amazing Dagger Gordon and Amy Henderson, a smashing family dance."
"This Ceilidh Dance is an established part of the tradition of this great festival."
"Wonderful Saturday concert"
"This festival has only been running for a few years! It feels well established, I thought it was much longer."
"Wonderful. Keep up the good work."
"Welcoming, friendly, good music and craic"
" Congratulations on such a successful weekend."