October 2021

What a weekend it was!  The Hills were indeed alive to the sound of pipes, fiddles, whistles, guitars, drums and singing.  The pubs were full and there was hardly a bed to be had in the village.  It was the first Braemar Folk Festival organised by the St Margaret’s Trust.  Top of the bill was folk legend Peggy Seeger and her son Calum McColl who played to a packed St Margaret’s.  Featuring songs from their latest CD First Farewell they enthralled the enthusiastic audience for well over two hours.  

The following evening another near capacity audience turned out to enjoy Project Smok, the neo trad trio of Ali Levack, Ewan Baird and Pablo Lafuente well known for their ability to blend traditional music with more contemporary influences.

And in between there were workshops and jam sessions in the Highland Games Centre, the Village Hall and in the hotels and bars with the Tom Campbell Trio and others.

Next up at St Margaret’s we have the October Ghillies Market on Sunday 10th and then on Saturday 23rd Sylvia Sim opens her solo exhibition Finding Feathers, Hoarding Horns, Borrowing Bones.  

On 19 November it’s back to music again when we welcome the fabulous Duncan Chisholm formerly of Wolfstone and Blazin’ Fiddles.  Duncan will be joined by Hamish Napier and Innes Watson.  Tickets are on sale now but beware, they are going fast!

Find out how to get tickets by visiting our “What’s On” page.

Brian Wood,

Chair, The St Margaret’s Trust