Mod stars young and old aim for national honours

TALENTED musicians, artists and poets battled it out in Inverness to prove they have what it takes to compete on the national stage.

Nearly 1000 competitors performed during the Inverness Provincial Mòd 2018, with many using the platform as a practice before the Royal National Mòd in October.

Norman Mackay, chairman of the local Mòd, was delighted with the number of young people competing at Eden Court.

"The Inverness Provincial Mòd is a brilliant chance for competitors to practice for the national competition and to hear from the adjudicators where they can improve," he said.

"You can tell that tutors have worked very hard to help the students improve year on year."

Hundreds of local children performed in Eden Court, highlighting the impact of the thriving Gaelic language and culture in the area on the opening day (June 15) and the following day talented adults competed in a wide array of competitions, before a winner’s showcase and ceilidh in the Royal British Legion in Inverness.

"Although I do not yet have the final figures, it looks like there was nearly 1000 competitors overall, in art competitions, drama, fiddle, singing competitions and many more," Mr Mackay said.

He believes that every year the standard of competition gets higher and he was incredibly impressed by the quality of performances this year.

"This is largely down to the number of Gaelic schools now operating in the Highland Council area," he added.

"There is no doubt you can see the difference it makes."

Mr Mackay wanted to thank all of the volunteers who gave up their time for the event and also the staff from Eden Court and the Royal British Legion for their support.

"I also have to say that the children’s tutors clearly put in a lot of effort and worked very hard over the year," he added.