A celebrated literature and music festival will return to Mallaig next month after being cancelled last year due to the pandemic.
The West Highland Hotel will host A Write Highland Hoolie as authors and musicians come together for a weekend of celebration and fun.
The festival takes place over the weekend of November 12 to November 14.
Tickets are still available for most of the events. However, the opening event has already reached capacity.
Murton and musicians in crossover
Entitled ‘The Highlands’, the opening event is based on television presenter and broadcaster Paul Murton’s latest book of the same name.
Mr Murton will be joined by fiddler Duncan Chisholm and Hamish Napier in a discussion about unique places of the Highlands, with music carefully chosen to accompany each area discussed.
Festival organisers have said the exciting mix of author and musicians is a “popular new departure for the festival”.
Big names on the line-up
Others on the billing include Chris Brookmyre, Donald S. Murray, E.S Thomson, Ghillie Basan, Polly Pullar, Leonie Charlton, Tom Bowser, and intrepid Polar explorer Myrtle Simpson.
For Chisholm and Napier fans, there will be another opportunity to hear the musicians as they perform in the hotel’s bar on Friday evening.
On Saturday, the hugely popular duo of Ingrid Henderson and Iain MacFarlane will take over musical duties.
Due to Covid restrictions, organisers have had to limit numbers for night-time sessions.
Opportunities for children
Children will again be involved with the schools element expanded under the umbrella of Hoolie Hoolets.
Vivian French, Chris Brookmyre, Alan Windram and Donald S. Murray will hold events in schools, with a session also dedicated to Gaelic.
Senior English students will also be treated to a workshop with skilled literacy interviewer Lee Randall.
The theme for both written and art competitions is The Lighthouse to mark the publication of Mr Murray’s For the Safety of All – the Story of Scotland’s Lighthouses.
Mr Windram will judge the competition with winners announced at Sunday afternoon’s tea party.
Pupil’s to create new piece of music
For the first time as part of the festival, musicians will also be working with local high school pupils.
The children at Mallaig High will create a piece of music in a few hours with the aid of Duncan Chisholm and Hamish Napier.
Music teacher, Lauren Moir, who is also a member of the Riska Ceilidh Band, expressed her delight.
She said: “The music department at Mallaig High School is renowned for its high playing standards, its dedication to Scottish music and high numbers of music students performing and composing after leaving school.
“I am thrilled that Duncan and Hamish will be coming to work with some of the pupils.”
‘We hope to inspire young people to create music, free from inhibition’
Mr Chisholm added: “We aim to collectively create a piece of music with the students in the space of a few hours, a piece of music they can be proud of.
“We will give them ideas on building melody and harmony and set them loose on a creative journey.
“We hope to inspire the young people to continue creating their own music, free from inhibition.”
Organisers ‘thrilled’ festival is back
Festival organisers, Polly Pullar, Ann Martin and Sine Davis, are delighted to be back.
They said: “We are thrilled to be holding the Hoolie again.
“We would like to thank our sponsors and supporters who have made it possible to expand our remit, particularly for primary and high school pupils.
“We are thrilled too, to have a new arm of the festival with our Hoolie School of Music Sessions.”
Tickets still available
Tickets can still be purchased from the festival website at: www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com