Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival founder Joe Gibbs is among thousands of festivalgoers in the crowd as he attends the popular Highland music event as a fan for the first time.
Mr Gibbs created the popular music festival in 2004 after fighting to regain ownership of his inheritance.
The family sold the Belladrum estate – a total of 1,150 acres of land – in 1977 before slowly buying back ownership of the site a decade later.
In 2017, the founder decided to sell Belladrum Festival to Kilimanjaro Group, a firm which has had involvement in the running of the festival for the past 11 years.
Five years on, Mr Gibbs is marking a new milestone at Belladrum, by attending the festival as a fan for the very first time.
Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival kicked off today, marking its 18th anniversary.
Mr Gibbs said: “My family owned the land from 1857 to 1977 and I was set to inherit it all in my early 20s – due to external factors this did not happen. I’d always had a great affection for Belladrum estate so I was determined to buy it back and use it as a vehicle for positive environmental and community change.
“As a keen music fan, I wanted to bring a huge event to the region that had families and fun at its core. I knew the grounds and land could make for an incredible set-up and after major restoration we were able to create a landscape primed for festival-goers.
“Since passing on the ownership of the festival itself, it will be fitting to finally experience Belladrum festival in its full glory as a fan for the first time.”
Belladrum 2022: All you need to know
Around 21,000 people flock to the Highlands each year to attend Belladrum, which has become one of Scotland’s leading festivals.
Emeli Sande and Van Morrison are among the star-studded line-up at the 2022 festival.
Peat and Diesel have become the latest act to join the line-up; taking the place of fan favourite Sam Ryder who had to pull out of his performance due to illness.
The three-day event will draw to a close on Saturday.
Hamish Trench, chief executive of the Scottish Land Commission, said it’s Mr Gibbs commitment to creating a community event that has helped to bolster the jobs market.
Mr Trench said: “As a result of Joe’s efforts to establish the festival, he has used land creatively to create an abundance of opportunities for local people, businesses and communities.
“With land at its foundation, the festival has kickstarted the careers of many local artists and partnered with community groups and charities to push forward positive impact on real change. The yearly event has highlighted the endless possibilities for land in Scotland.”
