It is a grand tour with a difference.
After a near 1300 mile journey by road and two ferries, what is believed to be the most expensive piano ever bought for a Scottish island is to arrive in Orkney on Monday, after islanders raised the money over the past six years.
But the Steinway Concert Grand Model D had to pass its own audition first.
Leading composer, Inverness-born Alasdair Nicolson and top Scottish pianist Steven Osborn – a former Royal Philharmonic Society Instrumentalist of the Year – travelled to Hamburg in Germany to test a dozen Steinways at their centre.
The one they chose cost more than £125,000 – with half the money coming from public donations and the rest from grants made by Orkney Islands Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Creative Scotland and Scottish Arts Council.
The 900lb, near 9-ft long instrument – considered the “Rolls Royce” of pianos” – has now been delivered to London where it will be transported from tomorrow, on to its final destination of Kirkwall in Orkney.
It will make its debut at next month’s St Magnus International Festival, which will celebrate its 40th edition this year with an extended programme of events.
The festival’s artistic director Mr Nicolson said leading Russian pianist Alexi Volodin will play the piano at its first major concert at the Pickaquoy Centre on June 22 with a performance of Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2, together with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
“Over the years, the festival has brought a huge range of highly-acclaimed, world-renowned pianists to Orkney,” said Mr Nicolson.
“But it was getting to the stage we could not ask top soloists to play the old 40-year-old lesser model we had. This Steinway will open a whole new world. It is very special – and is the most expensive piano ever on Orkney and probably on any other Scottish island.
“Although other musicians are lucky enough to travel with their instruments, pianists have to rely on what they find when they arrive in a concert venue. The festival had never owned a piano and had relied on the generosity and willingness of Orkney Arts Society in lending its pianos. We decided to buy a new Steinway Concert Grand Model D to provide ‘the best’ for our visiting performers.
“People have raised the money ranging from small events like teas to substantial private donations of thousands of pounds.”