Caledonian Canal Ceilidh Trail 2004

Musicians
Collaboration
Partnerships

The third Caledonian Canal Ceilidh Trail took place in July and August 2004 and built on the success of the last two years. The trail opened with a concert at Urquhart Castle on 19 July, then continued round the Loch Ness area by land and water, to locks and piers, hotels and pubs, community centres and halls, and on board the Jacobite Queen, The Fingal and Lord of the Glens.

Musicians joined up with a 30-strong team of traditional musicians from Brittany in Drumnadrochit on 11 August.

The final event was at the Loch Ness Clansman Hotel on 13 August. The team then went to the Scottish Boat Show at the Falkirk Wheel.

Musicians

In the first two years the eight-strong team of musicians was made up entirely of young musicians, plus an older road manager-cum-storyteller. In 2004 the team included:

• Two established professionals (David Bowen on accordion and Hugh Marwick on whistle - they have some 50 years of professional playing between them)
• Four young musicians
• Other professionals.

This enhanced the training opportunity for the younger musicians as well as ensuring high levels of presentation and audience awareness.

Collaboration

The annual four-week project came about as a result of a combination of factors:

• the Scottish Arts Council's Cultural Tourism Report (2002),
• the interest of British Waterways Scotland, which had collaborated on the "Sea to Sea" research project into the musical tradition of the canal,
• and a knowledge of the success of the Fèis Rois ceilidh trail not far to the north. The Inverness Traditional Music Classes Project (TMC) decided to spread its wings

Partnerships

Partnership has been key to the success of the Ceilidh Trail, primarily with British Waterways but also with:

• the Loch Ness Partnership,
• Inverness Highland Games,
• local radio stations,
• the hotel trade,
• local halls committees and many others.

Supported by the National Lottery through the Scottish Arts Council.