Heading off to Orkney

Fiddlers’ Bid, Fullsceilidh Spelle­manslag and the Shetland Sessions are among the acts lined up for this year’s Orkney Folk Festival in May.

One of the highlights of the festival is the visit of the House of Edgar Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band, from Lanarkshire, which have been World Pipe Band Champions 15 times and also won 27 World Drum Corps Championships.

Other big names include Scottish singer Karine Polwart, Irish bands Beogo and Buille, US multi-instru­mentalist Bruce Molsky, French-Canadians Genticorum, English folkies Spiers and Boden and the Aberdeen-based Jani Lang Band.

Home-grown Orkney talent in­cludes The Chair, Fiona Drever and Saltfishforty.

The 27th Orkney Folk Festival will be held from Thursday 21st May to Sunday 24th May. Aside from the main Stromness events, this year there will be events held in Sandwick, St Margaret’s Hope, Orphir, Stronsay, Finstown, Rousay and Kirkwall.

For the latest information log on to www.orkneyfolkfestival.com or www.myspace.com/orkneyfolkfest

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