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Wandering Minstrels tour Cairngorms





Ready for their tour
Ready for their tour

THE latest tour by the Cairngorm Ceilidh Trail will see "wandering minstrels" play at Scotland’s highest restaurant, a theme park and the estate of the Queen’s home at Balmoral.

Some of the region’s most talented young traditional musicians are fine tuning their skills at Fèis Alba, based in the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music, Plockton, ahead of the latest ceilidh tours.

Eight of the musicians form the band for the Cairngorms Ceilidh Trail, now in its fifth year, and they will be kicking off their tour next Tuesday evening (July 12) with a concert at Talla nan Ros, Kingussie.

Tour co-ordinator Judith Bullivant said: "This year’s tour includes a variety of entertainment, from informal sessions during the day to concerts and ceilidh dances in the evenings.

"The format of ‘wandering minstrels’ which was introduced in several venues last year proved very successful and members will be playing for visitors at the Landmark Forest Adventure Park in Carrbridge, Balmoral Estate and Cairngorm Mountain again, as well as Blair Castle following the expansion of the national park.

"Previous years’ bands have been highly praised for their musical professionalism and presentation of young people in a positive light.

"Band members are always happy to talk to audiences about the tour, their music and their instruments. We have every confidence that the trail this summer will live up to these high standards."

This year’s band comprises eight young musicians from in and around the Cairngorms National Park, two of whom are ‘old hands’, having been part of the line-up last year.

Brothers Ally Forsyth (piano and guitar) and Callum (guitar, pipes and whistle) enjoyed last year’s tour so much that they have again taken up what is offered as "a summer job with a difference".

They are being joined by fiddlers Megan Ryan and Helen Stirling, Clare Sterritt on wooden flute and whistle, Graham Campbell on guitar, Ciaran Ryan on tenor banjo, and Cameron Ross on fiddle and percussion.

The Talla nan Ros performance starts at 7.30pm, with support from the Bear Creek Reelers, a group of local young Fèis Spè musicians who have been working under the guidance of fiddler Charlie McKerron.

Other local performances include Glenmore Lodge (July 13), the Old Bridge Inn, Aviemore (July 14) and Glenlivet Distillery (July 15) as well as Blair Atholl Village Hall; MacRobert Hall, Tarland; The Retreat, Glen Esk, and a family cèilidh and stovie supper at Glenisla Village Hall.


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