Brandon buys legend's accordion
Now Scotland’s best accordion player in generations has bought the legendary box player’s instrument and will be using it to bring the old master’s sound alive again in a major UK tour.
Brandon McPhee from Castletown has tracked down Shand's famous Hohner Morino in Belfast.
Shand had four of the instruments built around 1949 and Brandon managed to trace the very first – “number 1”.
He paid about £5000 for the accordion which he then lovingly restored so that it could be played again in public for the first time in decades.
Its sweet sound will now ring out again to audiences for the Jimmy Shand Story, which begins its tour at Belfast’s Grand Opera House in March 7. Brandon will play toe-tapping renditions of Shand signature tunes such as the Bluebell Polka and Whistling Rufus.
The 20-year-old has played for royalty and celebrities and is regarded as one of the best box players since Shand.
Read full story in Wednesday's Caithness Courier