Benbecula’s Eilean Dorcha Festival returned for the first time since Covid, and not even the bad weather could dampen the spirits of music fans.
The organisers of Scotland’s ‘friendly festival’, with its unique setting on the machair, pushed back the final night’s schedule by several hours hoping it would mean a dry conclusion to the three-days of entertainment.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. But if there’s one thing you can count on in the Western Isles, is a great show, whatever the weather.
Piper Ross Miller and his band opened up the evening on the main stage.
“It’s not raining — we promise!” He joked, before launching into Accidental Belterism
The pipe band’s lively reels soon got the crowd warmed up and dancing.
Next up were folk-rock group Mànran. As a little blue sky showed through, they wowed the crowd with their beautiful lyrics in both Gaelic and English.
Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the night was the show-stopping vocals from Kim Carnie, who won Gaelic Singer of the Year at the 2021 Hands up for Trad awards.
The heavens opened up again as Skerryvore took the stage — but it didn’t put a dampener on their performance.
In fact, it felt like a suitably dramatic backdrop as they performed their biggest crowd-pleaser, the belting love song Take My Hand.
Another highlight was their cover of Nathan Carter’s classic Home to Donegal. A deeper cut from one of their earlier albums, it had long-time fans singing along to every word.
Crowning the festival’s last night was Trail West.
The main stage’s lights lit up the night, and the crowd was soon an ocean of dancing as the band played favourites like Take Her in Your Arms and Day of My Return.
People of all ages, locals and visitors alike, sang along as flags and umbrellas waved.
It was past midnight when the show came to a close.
The crowds of visitors wound their way home under the site’s signature wind turbine, lit up bright pink. All that was left was to dry off, have a dram — and start planning for next year.
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