Dear friends and festival goers,

We are so pleased to be able to confirm that the Portpatrick Folk Festival will still be on this year on 2nd/3rd/4th September.
Despite rumours to the contrary, fuelled by lack of information (apologies), and a desperate search to get sufficient funding we will be going ahead in our usual spot in the festivals calendar. We will have to manage without local authority support but, with continuing help from our loyal sponsors, Belhaven, we are now able to avoid becoming another victim of the current economic situation.

We have new, young, energetic, blood on board as organisers and with their enthusiasm coupled with us old dogs’ experience, we are sure that we will be able to provide the usual weekend of hospitality, talent, endless sessions and, if the gods are on our side, SW Scotland semi-tropical weather!

Even at this late stage, we have been able to secure a top attraction for or Saturday concert and have some new up and coming talent keen to strut their stuff over the weekend.

Originally from Nairn, in the Scottish Highlands, fiddler Rua Macmillan has quickly made a name for himself as one of the rising stars in the highly competitive world of Scottish traditional music. Having graduated with a B.A. (Hons.) in Scottish Music from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 2008, he has already toured extensively throughout Europe and the U.S. Young Traditional Musician of the Year. The following summer he performed at In February 2009, Rua was awarded the prestigious title of BBC Radio Scotland Cambridge Folk Festival.

His debut album ‘Tyro’ (CDTRAX 346) was released on the Greentrax label in May 2010 and was re-released in March 2011 ahead of a fourteen date UK tour with fellow award winner Ewan Robertson of Breabach (Last year’s festival star attraction)
Rua performs in a trio with Tia Files (from Bodega) on guitar and Adam Brown on bodhran.

Thanks for your continuing support and please watch this space for further details!