Globe Corner Blogs

It’s a warm summer night in Edinburgh, and I just came in from a walk along the Royal Mile – the cobbled stretch of road in the Old Town that connects Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace. The Fringe and International Music festivals are in full swing, and the city has a great energy to it. There are masses of people, but it’s not nearly as crazy as I anticipated. Tonight I was treated to an incredible performance by a band from Zimbabwe called Siyaya. Set up on a street corner, I heard their music a block away and joined the crowd of hip-swaying, arm-flailing tourists. Fancy that – I went out for a stroll and wound up dancing in the street. I love this city!

And now to backtrack a bit… I spent July island hopping, beginning with Shetland far off in the ocean towards Norway, and then over to the west to Skye and the Hebridean islands of Lewis and Harris. Shetland culture relates more closely with its Scandinavian roots and this was evident, as with most cultures, through the dialect and music. I spent a week there with a family – one member is a phenomenal fiddler and the another a lifelong guitarist and singer. Living room concerts were the week’s entertainment; I couldn’t have landed in a better home! They showed me the island whose middle was mainly flat moorland while the coastline dropped off in dramatic cliffs. Farmland dotted with ruins of stone houses and fuzzy sheep gave way to some lovely beaches as well. The sun barely sets this far north in summertime, though when it’s shining during the day, that usually means the clouds will roll in and settle at night. Fortunately, I was graced with two clear evenings when the sun kept the sky aglow past midnight.

Lewis and Harris are a whole other ball game. For one, they’re connected, though considered separate islands, and together they’re one narrow strip of land. Lewis is flat, while its voluptuous other half has all the curves and hills. The Hebridean Celtic Festival brought me to Stornoway, Lewis’ biggest town and harbor. This is by far the best fest I’ve ever attended, mainly because the small town keeps it intimate. I ran into the same friends day after day; we never had to make plans to meet because it would just happen! It was also really well organized – each afternoon you had a choice of performances and pub sessions to attend, then a big tent concert at night featuring three bands, followed by an after party where the night’s big acts and others would play in the new, very impressive local arts center for more intimate performances.

After five days of festival activity, I zipped down to Harris to see its white sand beaches (in the POURING rain), then rode a ferry to the northern tip of lovely Skye. I came here nine years ago; it was my favorite spot in Scotland, and the island captivated me once again. After a few weeks of rather gloomy, wet weather, the sun came out on Skye. A new found Hungarian friend joined me on my favorite hike so far, tramping three hours alongside the giant Cuillin mountain range beside a river, and encountered waterfall, after waterfall, after waterfall. Their icy pools were no match for us, and twice we swam with chattering teeth, loving every minute!

And then there was… FIDDLE CAMP! Another inspiring week with Alasdair Fraser and his fellow instructors. We had classes three times a day where we learned tunes and techniques by ear and were encouraged to emote language and rhythm in our playing. Nighttime meant the fiddlers and cellists would convene at the Old Hall and play tunes and dance until whenever the last one of us dropped off to sleep, and that could have been 3, 4, or 5am any given morning.

I’m growing more attached to this wee place; its music, landscape, and people are making deep impressions. I’ve discussed with travelers and locals the elements that make Scotland so special – a general trust in people and lack of rules seems to be important. For example, people aren’t fussed if you tramp through their property while hiking as long as you’re respectful and don’t cause any damage. Should you ruffle any feathers, most folks seem willing to talk instead of immediately pointing blame and getting upset. Private land is public land and people talk first and form opinions later.

Up next, the far north and the great unknown…

My favorite acts from the Hebridean Celtic festival:

Shooglenifty – I danced, danced, danced to this band of veterans playing funky, Scottish-inspired music.

Bodega – a relatively young band with HUGE talent in harp, accordian, guitar, fiddle, percussion, and singing.

Julie Fowlis – Gaelic singer and musician extraordinaire. Her voice will make you swoon. It’s lovely.

And my friends on Shetland:

Maggie Adamson and Brian Nicholson – mainly traditional Shetland music played expertly and beautifully together on guitar and fiddle strings. Latest album together is titled Tammy Norie.

Read more: Edinburgh, Festivals, Scotland, Scottish Isles, Travel


Julie

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