Scotland,The Far North

From the islands we return back to the mainland to Ullapool in the region of Wester Ross.  Here we meet harpist Rachel Newton.  This song Mo Chubhrachan is from her 2014 album Changeling:

As we are heading north we are just stopping short of John O'Groats the northern tip of mainland Scotland for a visit to Wick, where accordionist Hugh Morrison was born.  This is a tune from his debut 2003 album Feet to the Floor:

Hopping over to Orkney,winters can get seriously cold up here, so what better to warm yourself up, than with some stomp music from 8-piece band The Chair.  This lively tune is called Scariest Room and features on their 2013 album Road to Hammer Junkie:

Moving even further up north we arrive on Shetland.  Fiddler Willie Hunter (1933-1994) played an important role in the revival of Shetland fiddle traditions.  This sad tune, accompanied on Piano by long-time collaborator Violet Tulloch is called Leaving Lerwick Harbour and is the title track to their 1995 album:

Here's a live performance of them joined by Aly Bain of Love O' Da Isles which features on the album Willie Hunter Sessions:

Half of the all female fiddle quartet Rant are from Shetland (the other 2 from the Highlands).  Their fiddles are tuned differently giving depth to their lively style of traditional tunes.  Here's a pair of tunes, a march called Ferguson of Raith and a reel called Miss Mary MacDonald's from their self-titled 2013 debut album:

That's it from the far north, next we'll be heading back to the mainland exploring the Eastern Highlands of Scotland.  As usual you can follow my virtual ramblings on my tripline map.