Skipinnish are ‘really excited’ to perform at The Gathering festival in Inverness this weekend
By Federica Stefani and Megan Carr
Northern Meeting Park in Inverness is set to reopen briefly this weekend to host a top Highland festival of music, culture, food and drink.
The Gathering Festival this Saturday will boast what organisers say is its strongest ever billing of live musical acts.
Topping the bill are Skipinnish with their first outing at the annual event.
The popular trad folk band’s co-founder Angus MacPhail said: “It's really exciting to have the prospect of performing at the Gathering Festival this weekend and we know that fans are going to be going absolutely wild.
“It’s such a great event in the capital of the Highlands, and it's a festival we've been aware of for so long, but we've never been able to do it because we've always had clashing shows. But the timing this year was good; it's all coming together well.
“Our music comes from the Highlands and Islands, and with Inverness being the capital of the Highlands, it’s always a great day and a great place for Skipinnish to perform. It's a place where we've had a huge amount of support over the last 25 years. Inverness was the first place that we did a big stand-alone gig back in 2019.
“We've been back a number of times since then, and it's been absolutely phenomenal every time.”
Highland musician Calum Macphail is also “really looking forward” to performing.
“It’ll be a good day - even if the weather isn’t on our side,” the 27-year-old said. “Good vibes and good craic.”
The accordionist, who released a new album in March, is no stranger to the event, having performed there three times before.
The also includes the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Torridon, and Kinnaris Quintet.
The historic Northern Meeting Park, which is undergoing a £5 million redevelopment, will stage its first event there since work began in 2023, with construction set to resume after the festival and be complete next month. Last year’s edition of The Gathering was at Bught Park.
Alongside the music, visitors will enjoy Highland street food, craft drinks, traditional music sessions, and mini-Highland games - all in a family-friendly atmosphere.
