How good was the Saturday at this year’s HebCelt?! The line-up was great, the weather was incredible and with all that going on everyone was just in the best mood. It was superb. For me, the Waterboys absolutely smashed it. […]
My highlight from Friday night at HebCelt 2017 was a woman I didn’t even see. My low point was the woman I had been looking forward to seeing more than any other. I didn’t get to the festival site until […]
Armed with bacon rolls, croissants and hot coffee, publishing company Acair Books held a press launch this morning to mark the start of their 40th anniversary year. Acair holds a special place in my heart as it was my first ever […]
I wrote a testimonial a few days ago for gaelicmediumeducation.com, the website which tells people all about the benefits of Gaelic immersive education and gives information on schools offering it in the islands. It came about because I have a work […]
We’re heading into the Celtic festival of Samhain, the beginning of the ‘darker half’ of the year, and in Lewis that means it’s time for Faclan, The Hebridean Book Festival. Taking place in Stornoway every year around the time the […]
They seem like a bit of an odd couple: the award-winning Hollywood composer behind the soundtracks to films such as Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby, and the Lewis tradition bearer who’s also an elder in the Free Church. So […]
Imagine being evicted from your croft home and resettled in a challenging environment where you had to start all over again in cultivating the land. Imagine then having to fight tooth and nail, for half a century, for the right […]
Two bands sold the Hebridean Celtic Festival to me this year — Astrid and Runrig. But you can always count on HebCelt to throw something new and fabulous your way and it did, in the shape of Whisky Kiss and […]
Wow. The dust is settling on Stornoway after another Hebridean Celtic Festival and I’m so glad I was there (along with the rest of the 18,000 people who made it a record-breaking event). I didn’t see everything — not by […]
Hebridean Women at An Lanntair last night… what a lovely start to HebCelt16, the festival’s 21st year. A special night of traditional Gaelic singing that was good for the soul and unique in terms of performances. It’s not entirely to […]