Biggest ever local entry at Dunoon Mod
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CAITHNESS is set to see its biggest-ever representation at a festival which celebrates the music and culture of Scots Gaelic with entries said to have more than doubled from previous years.
The Royal National Mòd will see between 80 and 100 people making the journey from the far north to Dunoon in Argyll for the week-long festival which begins tonight with its opening ceremony.
Popularity of the event has grown locally ever since it was held in Caithness in 2010 for the first time.
Since then, a healthy number of participants continue to represent the county at national level.
Musicians and singers from the county will be taking part in the festival in several categories, including piping, fiddle, accordion, junior solo, junior folk group, senior solo and senior choral competitions.
An Comunn Gàidhealach chairman and Melvich Gaelic Choir conductor Raymond Bremner said the Mòd coming to the county two years ago was a real springboard for developing talent and said there is a genuine opportunity for a number of local participants to come back as prizewinners.
"It is great to see a healthy number of participants continuing to represent the county at the National Mòd following the event being held here in 2010," he said. "A lot of new faces have become involved in the county’s Gaelic cultural activities.
"This is essential to ensure the contribution which the language and culture makes to the local and regional area is recognised at this level.
"It is also important to maintain the county’s profile at national festivals outwith the county in order that other areas recognise the county’s inclusion and national contribution and to achieve the promotional benefits of this."
Among the high-profile participants representing Caithness will be Brandon McPhee, from Castletown, who, despite being eligible for the junior section, has opted to compete in the senior open accordion category.
In the adult section, the Rev Alastair Gray, from Watten, competes in the gold medal competition and Mr Bremner, from Thrumster, and Christine Stone, from Castletown, will be competing in the traditional gold medal competition – they both made it to the final round of the competition last year.
Michael Henderson, from Keiss, who plays in The Chicken Pickers, will take part in solo competition for the first time.
Feis Ghallaibh lead organiser Celia MacDougall, a former deputy rector at Wick High, will be competing in the learners’ traditional solo competition and the Marjory Kennedy-Fraser Competition. She will also be singing with fellow Melvich Choir chorister Julianne Linger, from Melness.
She was encouraged to see the number of young people from Féis Ghallaibh who continue to take part in the National Mòd.
"Féis Ghallaibh have achieved considerable success at provincial and national Mòds over the past two years and we hope to build on that in Dunoon," she said.
"Their achievements are all thanks to the commitment of the participants themselves, their tutors, who do a power of work with the kids, and their parents with time and continuing support."
BBC Alba will be broadcasting live from the Mòd throughout the week.
