The three-day event, held in memory of John Lennon, has been voted the best new festival in the UK.

The champagne corks popped among the 10-strong group from the far north-west when the announcement was made at the glitzy UK Festival Awards in London on Tuesday evening.

The John Lennon Northern Lights Festival pipped 13 other newcomers to one of the main prizes at the ceremony in the city's Koko nightclub.

Festival co-ordinator Mike Merritt received the honour from Mikey Cuban, a member of the hit quartet the Cuban Brothers.

"It's just incredible," Mr Merritt said afterwards. "We were up against festivals which had stacks of public funding so I think it's a real credit to everybody involved at Durness that we achieved this success on such a small budget."

The Lennon link stemmed from the ex-Beatle spending many of his childhood holidays in Durness, staying with a relative who had a croft-house at Sangomore.

Mr Merritt said: "It was where he was often happiest during a turbulent childhood. That is why his family so enthusiastically endorsed the event and we are especially grateful to Yoko Ono Lennon for her support and permission to use John's name."

Lennon's half-sister Julia Baird attended, as did his cousins Stan Parkes and David Birch.

As well as top musical acts, the Durness festival included poetry, drama, theatre, artwork and photography.

Mr Merritt praised the support and co-operation he and his fellow organisers had from local people during the festival, which attracted over 1000 revellers. He said: "They pulled out all the stops to make the festival the success it turned out to be. Durness certainly knows how to party and make visitors feel extra-special. I'd also like to thank North Highland Tourism group for their promotion of the event and for having the guts to back my crazy idea."

The festival contingent included the North Highland Tourism chairman, Wick hotelier Murray Lamont; Durness Community Council chairwoman Mary Mackay; and village head teacher Graham Bruce.

Tuesday's function in the city club attracted over 1200, with Mr Hudson and the Library, Scouting For Girls and the Brightlights performing. Among others short-listed for the best new festival were the Manchester International Festival, the Outsider at Rothiemurcus and Live at Loch Lomond.

The only other Scottish winner was the Wickerman Festival held in Kirkcudbright, which was voted the best grassroots festival.

The long-established Isle of Wight Festival topped the major festival category, while best line-up award went to the V Festival in Weston Park in Staffordshire.

The Killers took the major performers' awards, being voted both the best headline and best rock act. Faithless, McFly and the Levellers also won prizes, while the best newcomer award went to the Enemy.

An hour-long feature on the Durness festival is being broadcast on the Iain Anderson show on BBC Radio Scotland at 10.30pm on Wednesday, November 21.

Meanwhile, Highlands and Islands SNP MSP Rob Gibson has lodged a motion in parliament congratulating the organisers and participants on winning the award.

Mr Gibson said: "Organiser Mike Merritt, his team and the artists deserve this award as the festival was fantastic. A great deal of work and planning went into this three-day event and from what I saw and heard it worked extremely well.

"This award will further boost the reputation of the festival as well as Durness and shows that the North of Scotland really does offer some of the best cultural experiences in the world.

"I am sure – despite the fact that the Beatle's name will be dropped from the title next year – that the festival will go from strength to strength. The award is testament to the excellent artists that live in the Highlands and Islands and to those artists that travelled there to honour a great man in an amazing setting."

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