Preview: Northern Roots Festival

Bruce MacGregor's Northern Roots Festival returns for its 4th appearance in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, armed with its most impressive lineup of folk, acoustic and roots music yet.

Mike Warburton

Date published: 29th May 2013

Photograph - The Henry Girls

Since 2009, Bruce MacGregor has been hosting a very special event. The Northern Roots Festival has become in just a few years one of the most popular events in Scotland - a genuine celebration of music and culture. A huge number of gigs are lined up over the best part of a week, culminating in the festival proper, which is held this year on 31st May - 2nd June at Bogbain Farm, Inverness.

Showcasing the finest in local talent, as well as a few big names thrown in for good measure, this year’s lineup is the most accomplished one to date.

Listen: The Henry Girls - Morning Rush

Highlights this time round include The Henry Girls, Mairearad & Anna, Adam Holmes, Rura, The Elephant Sessions, Charlie Roth, Nuala Kennedy, Edwina Hayes, Mike Vass & Fiona Hunter, the mighty Grousebeater Sound System, and the Angus Nicolson Trio to name just a few.

The main man himself has said of this years lineup “The lineup this year is one of the most dynamic and exciting we’ve had in the five years of this festival... We’ve changed things slightly this year with the more acoustic based acts performing in the early part of the evening and then the high energy stuff later in the evening. The idea was to allow those folk who want to sit and listen to a gig in comfy warm surroundings and at the same time provide a venue for those that want to have more of a Hoolie!”

For fans of Acoustic, Folk, Blues, World, and Roots music, the music programme available at Northern Roots Festival will take take some beating.

With a wicked selection of fine ales available too supplied by the Cromarty Brewing Company, Bruce MacGregor has once again come up trumps, providing the best possible way of celebrating Celtic connections in the heart of the Highlands.

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