This year’s Highland Festival, is gearing up to be yet another event to savour, with artistes from around the world descending on Inverness for nine days from 4 to 12 June.

Experience Flamenco dancers to Buddhist monks, Americana to traditional music, African drummers to massed pipes and drums, hip-hop to Highland flings, the Festival offers something for everyone.

As well as music and dance, the programme also provides theatre, comedy, art and street events.  Four new one act plays all based around the theme of whisky,
by some of the Highlands best known playwrights will premiere at the Festival as well as a new specially commissioned pipe tune and a drumming extravaganza to round off this year’s events.

Other events include An Tarsainn/The Crossing, a celebration of the links between Prince Edward Island and the Isle of Skye, featuring Blair Douglas and Anne Martin; a new cello and fiddle piece by Christine Hanson and Bruce Macgregor and music from the ever popular Duncan Chisholm, Iain MacFarlane and Mark Clements…..

….and remember Paul (‘Wherever I Lay My Hat’) Young?  Well he’s donned a Stetson and teamed up with some of the best musicians in the business to form Los Pacaminos, who play an incendiary mix of Tex-Mex music, lying somewhere between the Mariachi and Norteno styles of Mexico and the country/blues sounds of South Western America.  With the set including songs like ‘Wooly Bully’, ‘La Bamba’ and even ‘Speedy Gonzales’ you can guarantee a great party atmosphere!

There really is something for all ages and the tots and teenagers haven’t been forgotten either.  Up and coming rock band InMe will be performing at Blue Nightclub in a special gig for anyone over the age of 14, and DogDaze Theatre perform an adaptation of Babette Cole’s Dr Dog for the wee ones.

And there’s much, much more.  For a full programme of events check www.highlandfestival.org.uk or contact the Festival Hotline on 01463 711112.