Andreas and I had a blast at the HebCelt music festival in 2013 and knew it would be a highlight of our summer in Scotland this year as well.
The bands were all new to us with no repeats from two years ago. As soon as the lineup was announced I downloaded as many albums as I could find. After listening to that playlist a few times I had a pretty good idea about how I wanted to divide my time between the three performance stages. The ones whose albums I’d liked best all put on excellent performances, and there were also some happy surprises when bands had great live energy that didn’t come across in their recordings. A few of my favorites:
In 2013 we were blessed with gorgeous sunny weather all three days. This time the climate was more typical of the islands, but a little rain can’t dampen the spirits of festival-goers here.
A few festival FAQs:
What are the venues like?
The main shows are on three covered stages (Main, Island, and Acoustic) on the grounds of Lews Castle in Stornoway. You can bring a chair or blanket, but most people stand, especially when it’s raining. There are a few other venues in town and around the island.
What do you wear?
Dress for Scotland, dress for a music festival, dress for the weather
What do you eat?
The on-site vendors offer plenty of choices to go with your local ale.
Lorna of Arabia 
I was there too! For me, the absolute highlight was Alasdair White.
Greet Vanlaer
Belgium
He was good, wasn’t he?
He was brilliant!
I don’t believe my eyes! In your picture (entering the castle grounds: the one with the bright green jacket, that’s me! Next to my husband.
great day
Haha! That’s a fun surprise. How did you happen across my blog?
Because I was looking for information about Alasdair White. I hoped that his concert at Hebcelt has made it into a CD.