Two Highland singers will go head-to-head this evening in the gold medal final at the Royal National Mod.
Kirsty Watt from Lewis secured her place in the competition after winning the Oran Mor ladies gold medal qualifier at Perth Theatre.
She walked away with the Mr and Mrs Archibald Macdonald Memorial Trophy and the Jessie M MacLachlan Memorial Prize, as well as the Joyce Murray Trophy for achieving the highest marks in Gaelic.
The 28-year-old will compete against Saffron Hanvidge from Inverness, who took first place in the ladies solo singing gold medal qualifier, for the coveted An Comunn Gaidhealach gold medal.
Miss Hanvidge won the Mary C MacNiven Memorial Salver. The pair will sing their hearts out this evening to win the An Comunn Gaidhealach gold medal.
First time’s the charm for Lewis teacher
Miss Watt, 28, a teacher at Sgoil a’ Bhac school on Lewis, entered the competition for the first time this year following a seven-year break from competing.
In 2015, she won the silver pendant. She says earning a place in the final came as a rather unexpected surprise.
“I’m really shocked but ecstatic,” she said.
“All that hard work has not gone to waste.
“I enjoyed being back singing. That was my main aim, just to get back on the stage and sing again. The last Mod I did was the silver pendant in 2015, which I won, but since then I have not really competed so it is nice to be back on stage.”
Singing in memory of her grandmother
Miss Watt has been competing at the Mod since the age of five.
However, this year she is missing a loyal supporter – her beloved grandmother Christy Macdonald, who passed away two years ago.
During her performance, she wore her grandmother’s brooch as a good luck charm.
Miss Watt added: “My grandmother (Christy Macdonald) passed away two years ago and she was the one who was always helping me with my Gaelic. Every year she was my rock and the day I decided if I was going to do the gold medal or not, we found the brooch outside.
“The neighbour found it and said is this yours so I’m wearing it today, it is my wee good luck charm.
“It is our first Mod without her so it is something to remind me of her. I think she would be very proud.”
Inverness musician hopes to take home gold
Miss Hanvidge is no stranger to the Royal National Mod and the pressures that come with the final of the gold medal.
She has been competing at the annual festival since the age of seven, appearing in numerous competitions over the last two decades.
The 27-year-old has won the Puirt-a-beul four times. However, her hopes of securing a fifth victory were shattered when the competition was cancelled due to lack of entries.
She has also competed in the final of this competition on numerous occasions but sadly failed to reach the top of the leaderboard.
Miss Hanvidge is now aiming to add another trophy to her cabinet by winning the prestigious gold medal.
In the qualifying round this morning, she sang a rendition of Gura thall ann an Soaigh, a song she has been singing since age 14.
She said winning would allow her to take a well-earned rest from competing.
She said: “I’m just really happy because I have been in the final a couple of times before but never been first in any of the competitions so it is nice that I have been able to put work into this.
“It is a song I have been singing since I was about 14 and I have only really started singing it again.
“I enjoyed the relaxed setting; I felt really relaxed on stage and confident in what I was singing.”
She added: “Winning would mean that I could take a break and actually enjoy being at the Mod next year. I’m just really thankful for everybody who helped me get to this point, including my teacher Christine Primrose.”
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