To know any place, you must first know its culture. That is why we invite you to join us on a cultural and musical journey into Scotland. This time we will not be your guides, but passengers along with you as we let the magical music of Skipinnish be our guide. And, if their music alone was not magical enough, we will be celebrating their 25th anniversary at a very magical venue – Edinburgh Castle!
Throughout this journey, we will cover some of the history of the band, and its members. We will also go back and revisit the opening act for the evening, because she is a legendary singer too. First, listen carefully, do you hear the haunting melodies emanating from the bagpipes? The pipes are crying the melodic opening notes to “Crò Chinn t-Sàile”, a traditional song composed by a wounded soldier at the Battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715. The song relays his fear of never returning home to Kintail (near the Isle of Skye). So, lets swoop down to the Castle and get this party started!
As haunting as the opening song was, it also seamlessly transitioned into the instrumental song – “The Hag”. Now, if that blast of fresh highland air through the bagpipes and the ferocious fiddling did not get your feet tapping, then I highly recommend you check with your doctor!
But, now that we have your attention, please allow us to introduce you to – Skipinnish! The band was founded in 1999, by its two founding members, Angus MacPhail and Andrew Stevenson. At the time they were both students at Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. However, it was not only their music that drew them together, but also their shared love for the Highlands and Islands of Scotland!
That love for Scotland is evoked in all of the songs that they have performed; both covers and their original songs. In fact, all the original songs have either been written, or co-written by Angus MacPhail. Even the band name is rooted in that connection to the land, because the name comes from the place where Angus grew up on the Island of Tiree. Angus, who is perhaps one of the best accordion players around today, also has a strong connection to the sea, which is not only reflected in his music, but because of the fact that he is a commercial fisherman and marine charter. You will see him on the seas later.
As for the earlier opening tunes from the bagpipes, those were provided by the second founding member of Skipinnish – Andrew Stevenson. Andrew hails from Lochaber, where he started playing the pipes at a very young age, but it is also where he developed his close ties to the land. So, while Angus works on the seas around the Hebrides, Andrew has worked on the hills of Western Highlands as a stalking ghillie, a hunting guide.
Before we continue with the show, I also want to introduce you to the man who’s fiddling probably got you off your seat earlier – Archie McAllister! Archie is one of the most popular and on-demand experts of the Scottish fiddle. Throughout his career, he has performed with various bands and has supported traditional music singers and acts around the country, but he has also won many accolades as a solo artist in his own right. So, it is fair to say that I, along with all Skipinnish fans, am very happy that he now brings his flair to the masses alongside Angus and Andrew, and the rest of the band of course, but it is time to get back to the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade…
The Castlehill echoes…
“Bring to me the morning
And the dawning of the day
Speed up the sun and forward turn
The clocks that slow our way
Bring down the moon and shining stars
And hold the nighttime long
Wake up the larks and bittern, start
To sing tomorrow's song”
In unison, thousands of fans raise their hands above their heads and start clapping…
Alright, now that we have gotten our blood pumping again, let's introduce the next couple of members of the band. The troubadour extraordinaire who has been serenading us is the lead singer and the guitarist of Skipinnish – Norrie MacIver! Prior to joining Skipinnish in 2016, Norrie, from the Isle of Lewis, already had a long-established career as a singer and songwriter. He was a lead singer for a few other bands, including Manran (check out our post on the Hoolie in the Hydro to learn a bit more about them), plus as a supporting vocalist to other Gaelic singers and groups.
As mentioned earlier, Norrie replaced Robert Robertson (now the singer of Tide Lines – a post about them coming very soon!) in 2016. However, be assured that it wasn’t because of some drama – you must think of Skipinnish almost like an “All-Star Team” of contemporary Scottish music. Its members tend to change occasionally, and most of the current members are involved with other bands and projects as well, but they then all come together to create remarkable music that will long outlive us all!
Another fresh infusion of youthful and exuberant energy to the band from 2016 on has been the drummer – Rory Grindlay! Now, while many of the members of the band hail from the Highlands and the Islands, Rory is actually from a bit closer to our home here in Edinburgh, because he is from West Calder in the West Lothian. He has been influenced by many musical genres growing up in Scotland’s central belt. However, his infectious smile and dynamic drumming prove beyond any doubt that he truly loves the Traditional Scottish music above all the rest.
Time to hit the seas again! This time our guides will take us on a trip to the “cauldron of the speckled seas” – “Coire Bhreacan” – a song about the Corryvreckan Whirlpool located between the Isles of Jura and Scarba. Fellow sailors…you have been warned…
That atmospheric tune to warn sailors, works also as a nice segue to introduce you to one of the fairly regular guest contributors to Skipinnish – Scottish Gaelic singer, Rachel Walker. Like all the musicians associated with Skipinnish, she also has a very accomplished career both as a solo artist and as a supporting vocalist to others. Now, of course, her ties to Skipinnish go beyond the music, as she is married to Andrew – whom we met earlier.
We still have other members to introduce, but next we want to mention and honour the legend who opened up the celebration on this stunning July evening in Edinburgh. She also features on the next song- please say hello to a true living legend of Scottish Folk music – Karen Matheson! (We briefly mention her on the Hoolie in the Hydro post as well)
Karen Matheson and her husband, Donald Shaw, are the founding members of Capercaillie, a band they founded in 1984. Therefore, it’s a big anniversary year for them as well. But, like so many other “All-Stars” of Scottish music, she also has teamed up with Skipinnish this year, and together they have released the next song – "Eagle’s Wing".
To be honest, I absolutely love this anthemic song (it might give “Flower of Scotland” a run for its money!). It is such a beautiful song that evokes a sense of belonging to this bonnie land! Moreover, it is inclusive:
“I’m the sons and daughters all of Caledonia,
Of generations long gone by and a thousand still to go.
I am all who left and all who stayed forever
And all who came and made our land their own.”
I know that it sounds silly, but I tear up singing along with that last line, because I feel it is speaking to me directly. I am one of those ‘New Scots’ who came and made this land my own – I am home. So, I humbly thank everyone involved in the creation of this beautiful masterpiece, including a shout out to The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Pipes and Drums!
Now that I have made my roots here in Scotland, and speaking of roots, I would like to share this fascinating article…just please come back so that we can enjoy the remainder of the concert. - https://news.stv.tv/highlands-islands/centuries-old-scottish-oak-named-after-ceilidh-band-wins-tree-of-the-year-vote
Thank you for coming back to the Skipinnish 25th Anniversary concert already in progress. While we were all reading about an incredible tree, the band performed a couple songs, but we are back just in time for “The Island”! It remains to be one of the greatest hits for Skipinnish. In fact, when it came out in 2015, it ended up topping the World Music Charts, surpassing some other fairly well-known artists like Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. Please enjoy the official video here:
As the sun on this beautiful Scottish summer day begins to set behind the stage, the band and its adoring fans in the crowd are only getting warmer from all the singing and dancing, as we collectively experience songs like “The Clearances Again”, “Last of the Hunters”, and others. Here is the video for "Last of the Hunters", and, in it, you can see Angus on his fishing boat as promised earlier...
It is now time to meet some more members of the band. However, as I mentioned earlier, this is truly the “All Stars Team” of Scottish music. Therefore, we won’t cover all the former members, or many of the other artists that have collaborated with the band. We will next focus on the two remaining members of the band.
First up, is the band’s bass guitarist, Charlotte Printer, an established and award-winning multi-instrumentalist. She not only brings her enthusiasm and influence to Skipinnish, but also contributes to other bands (Altered Images, Pronto Mama, and Apache Darling). Therefore, she certainly keeps busy sharing her musical talents all around Scotland and the rest of the world.
The last, but certainly not the least, of the current members is Alistair Iain Paterson from Renfrewshire. And, just like Charlotte, Alistair is an award-winning musician who brings his incredible talents as a pianist and a piper to Skipinnish. He also keeps very busy performing with his other band, Barluath, and collaborating with many other artists like Robyn Stapleton and Julie Fowlis.
Next, however, is perhaps one of the best moments of the night – the band and all of us on the Castle Esplanade erupt to a rousing cover of the Runrig song – ‘Alba’! Those who know me, know that I have been a Runrig fan for a long time, so I humbly ask you check out our post about Runrig. However, not only are all these extremely gifted musicians doing proper justice to the legacy of Runrig, and to the song itself, but they are then joined on stage by one of the greatest guitar players of all time – Malcolm Jones of Runrig! As his guitar weeps…so do I…
By now, I am certain that you are all hooked on Skipinnish and their music. We have very briefly gotten to know the band and its members, but before we start to bring this magical music journey to a close, we sincerely recommend that all of you check out their website for upcoming concerts, so that you can start planning a time to see them live. And, who knows, you might even bump into us.😉
Let’s finish with a flurry!
This concert celebrating the 25th anniversary of Skipinnish was honestly one of the greatest concerts and magical evenings that I have ever experienced, and I know that it will live even longer than that in my memories. But, I also know that we will experience many more remarkable moments of this band that is just as majestic as the oak tree named in their honour. That brings us so much joy that I swear I could walk on the waves! And, of course, that is how Skipinnish brings this event to its close. First, here is the official video for the song, that features the former singer, Robert Robertson -
Now enjoy it as they performed it live at Edinburgh Castle-
'Walking Along the Waves' was echoing off the cobblestones well into the night as the departing fans all sang the song as we left the Castle.
Until next time: Explore & Discover!
