s h i e l i n g s
programme 2026
We are thrilled to announce the programme of events for our next festival, taking place across the Loch Shiel region from Friday 8th May to Monday 11th May inclusive. This year’s theme, Shielings, explores the relationships between history, people, place and sharing of creative ideas, from music to writing to visual arts. Read on to find out what’s in store!
Fri 08 May
Our opening night at Loch Shiel Festival 2026 is held at the beautiful Glenfinnan Church. This spectacular building, with its reverberant acoustic and breathtaking views, provides the perfect setting for the beautiful music of lever harpist and 2026 BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year, Rachel Groves, who welcomes in the 2026 festival theme, Shielings.
7pm | glenfinnan church
Rachel Groves
BBC YOUNG TRADITIONAL MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR 2026
Rachel Groves is a lever harpist and composer from Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Rooted in Scottish traditional music, she draws on influences from jazz, classical and global folk music styles as vehicles to explore the rich textural and rhythmic possibilities of the instrument. A graduate of Berklee College of Music (Valencia) and the University of Edinburgh, she is curious about the harp’s role as a contemporary voice in collaborative and intercultural contexts.
TICKETS: £20 / £10
Sat 09 May
Saturday at Loch Shiel Festival 2026 begins in Glenfinnan, before travelling westwards to Glenuig for our afternoon and evening events. There is something for everyone in this music-filled day, beginning with a children’s music workshop at the Jetty Hut with harpist and BBC young musician of the year, Rachel Groves, followed by a concert in memory of local teacher and founder of Lochaber Music School, Audrey Scott. In the afternoon, there’s the chance to get together with some of the festival artists in the Glenuig Inn for a tune and a blether, followed by two breathtaking performances from some of Scotland’s very finest artists in traditional, jazz and classical worlds - Sgo, Fergus McCreadie, and the Maxwell Quartet.
10:15am | glenfinnan jetty hut
Children’s Workshop: Rachel Groves
a fun packed family event led by live music now artist rachel groves
Join BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2026 Rachel Groves for a morning of all things harp and music making in the Glenfinnan Jetty Hut! Rachel is a Live Music Now Scotland artist and recent winner of the BBC’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year - don’t miss this chance to experience harp playing at its finest and a fun-filled workshop on all things musical!
tickets £5 (children only)
1pm | glenfinnan church
A Concert for Mrs Scott: Lochaber Music School
a celebration of lochaber music school with students past and present
Inspirational cello teacher and founder of the Lochaber Music School, Audrey Scott was an inspiration to so many musicians in the Lochaber area. We pay tribute to her legacy with a very special concert, bringing together the young musicians of Lochaber Music School with former students, friends and relatives of Audrey’s, including Duncan Strachan, William Conway, Clare Reynolds, Elspeth Luke, and Allison Stringer.
tickets £10/children free
3pm | glenuig inn
Shieling Session - Music
a community sharing led by festival artists (ciorstaidh chaimbeul, steaphanaidh chaimbeul)
In the first of our Shieling Sessions series, we welcome everyone to join us at the Glenuig Inn for a special informal sharing of music and tunes, with special guests Ciorstaidh and Steaphanaidh Chaimbeul, from the Isle of Skye. Everyone is welcome to bring instruments and play a tune, enjoy a chat and a drink, and get to know the artists, who will be performing later that evening at the Glenuig Hall.
free | book place
6pm | glenuig hall
Sgo: An Craobhan
chamber music scotland artists in residence
accordion and harp duo from the isle of skye
Sgo is a musical partnership between sisters Steaph and Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul, originally from the Isle of Skye, Scotland. The duo explores the expressive capabilities of the harp, accordion, and voice to create original compositions. Their work draws on their Gaelic upbringing and identity, blending chamber music, sound design, and storytelling. Together, they have performed across the UK and internationally, including appearances at Blas Festival, PanCeltic Festival, and HebCelt Festival. They are both currently based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Sgo will perform music from their upcoming debut album, which explores the ogham alphabet and its symbolism in Gaelic Culture.
tickets £20/£10
8pm | glenuig hall
Fergus McCreadie & Friends
Jazz pianist & scottish album of the year award winner, joined by the maxwell quartet and juliette lemoine
Fergus McCreadie is one of the most exciting young jazz pianists on the world stage. His 2022 album, Forest Floor, was shortlisted for the 2022 Mercury Prize and was awarded Scottish Album of the Year in 2022. With his unique blend of Jazz and Scottish folk music inspired by his country’s sublime landscapes, Fergus captures the hearts and minds of audiences worldwide.
He is joined by an all-star cast of collaborators this evening, including the Maxwell Quartet and cellist Juliette Lemoine, for the performance of two works by McCreadie, a piano quintet and his brand new piano trio, commissioned by Chamber Music Scotland and King’s Place.
tickets £20/£10
Sun 10 May
Mon 11th May
Ok, Sunday is traditionally the day of rest - but not so at this year’s action-packed festival! Beginning the day at Glenuig, we’re hosting a Kids Conservation Club with Georgina MacDonnell Finlayson, and a Guided Walk for grownups with local naturalist and lichen enthusiast Dr Ian Strachan, before a performance from Scotland’s award-winning Maxwell Quartet. The afternoon sees Georgina MacDonnell Finlayson sharing some of her work in “Green Arts” and sustainability in the music profession, alongside a unique collaboration between two experimental Scottish duos, Sgo and Peaks. Then it’s back over to Glenfinnan for a chance for writers to get together to share their work, before a performance from groundbreaking crossover cellist Juliette Lemoine and pianist Fergus McCreadie.
10am | glenuig hall
Kids Conservation Club
an activity session led by musician and environmentalist georgina macdonnell finlayson
In a festival first, we host an activity club for children around conservation and environmental awareness. Led by environmental arts practitioner Georgina MacDonell Finlayson, this short interactive activity session will be a fun outdoor session exploring some of the local habitats of Glenuig, from shore to woodland. The session will be around 45 minutes long.
tickets £5 (children only)
10am | glenuig hall
Guided Walk: A History of Lichen
an exploration of the unique habitats of the atlantic rainforest with ian strachan
Join local naturalist and lichen expert Dr Ian Strachan for a guided walk exploring the remarkable lichen habitats of Smirisary in Glenuig. This unique coastal landscape, shaped by clean Atlantic air and ancient woodlands, is home to an extraordinary diversity of lichens—from delicate, intricate species clinging to old trees to vibrant, crust-like forms painting the rocks. Along the way, Dr Strachan will share insights into the ecology, identification, and environmental importance of these often-overlooked organisms, revealing how they act as living indicators of air quality and ecosystem health. Whether you’re a seasoned naturalist or simply curious about the hidden details of the landscape, this walk offers a rare chance to see the natural world through a different lens.
tickets £12
11:30am | glenuig hall
Maxwell Quartet
festival favourites the maxwell quartet performing works by beethoven and prokofiev
The Maxwell Quartet return to the festival this year offering a coffee concert which brings together two wonderful quartets - Beethoven’s Opus 18 no 5, composed when he was in Vienna and studying the quartets of Mozart and Haydn, and developing his own voice as a quartet composer. They pair this with Prokofiev’s energetic second string quartet Opus 92, subtitled On Kabardinian Themes, and composed during WW2 while in evacuation in the Caucasus mountains. The work is full of folk music influence and wild extrovert dances.
tickets £20/£10
2pm | glenuig hall
Peaks & Sgo : Cladach/Mullach
a unique collaboration, with a pre-concert talk from georgina macdonell finlayson on green arts
Join us for this very special event featuring an insightful talk from musician, composer, sound artist and community arts practitioner Georgina MacDonell Finlayson. Georgina focuses here on sustainability in the arts sector, encouraging us to think about ways in which we can engage with the pressing need for addressing the climate emergency. Following the talk, a unique collaboration from two of Scotland’s most experimental duos - Sgo and Peaks - with a piece inspired by a Gaelic fable on the origins of music in the Western Isles.
tickets £10/£5
4.30pm | glenfinnan jetty hut
Shieling Session: Writers
a community sharing of written word led by stephen carruthers
In the second of our Shieling Sessions series, we welcome everyone to join us at the Glenfinnan Jetty Hut (limited spaces) for a special informal sharing of local writers, led by Stephen Carruthers, founder of the Lochaber Writers Group. Everyone is welcome to come and listen, and all are welcome to sign up to present some of your writing. To submit a request to do so, please email us at lochshielfestival@gmail.com in advance of the event to ensure there is time and space to be included in this special event.
free | book place
7pm | glenfinnan church
Juliette Lemoine
one of scotland’s leading lights in trad cello - with fergus mccreadie (piano)
Named ‘One to Watch’ by Chamber Music Scotland (2023), Juliette Lemoine is a Scottish cellist exploring and redefining the instrument’s role within contemporary Scottish Traditional Music. Her debut album ‘Soaring’, supported by the Beatrice Huntington Award for cellists, launched with a sold-out headline performance at Celtic Connections (2023), and was long-listed for the Scottish Album of the Year Award (2023). Her emotive compositions weave through Scottish Traditional, Western Classical, and Jazz genres to create a highly personal new voice. She is joined by Fergus McCreadie (piano).
tickets £20/£10
Our final day of the 2026 festival sees us travel down to the south end of Loch Shiel and a visit to the very special Resipole Studios. A chance to hear from some of the wonderful artists whose work is exhibited there is followed by a performance from accordionist and storyteller, Neil Sutcliffe, and a guided walk from local archaeology expert Dr Jennie Robertson. The evening sees our festival draw to a close with a performance from one Scotland’s most exciting (and perhaps best named!) new ensembles, the Bubblyjock Collective.
12pm | resipole studios
Shieling Session 3: Artists
a chance to meet and chat to local artists in a beautiful space
In the final Shieling Session, we focus on the visual arts, in the beautiful setting of Resipole Studios, led by gallery curator Kerrie Robinson. We’ll have a chance to hear more about the work of some of the artists whose work is featured in the gallery, and to have a conversation about working as an artist in the west highlands.
free | book place
1pm | resipole studios
Neil Sutcliffe
scotland’s trailblazing accordionist, folk singer, and storyteller
Resipole Studios provides an intimate setting for this lunchtime recital from accordionist, folk singer and storyteller Neil Sutcliffe. His roots are in the traditional music scene in Scotland, coming from a family of musicians and growing up surrounded by folksongs, ballads, pipe tunes, and ceilidh dancing. As a classical musician, he focuses on researching, performing and promoting neglected Scottish composers and music relating to Scottish history, language and place. Neil appeared at the festival in 2025 with his duo partner Roo Geddes, and will appear later with his new ensemble, the Bubblyjock Collective. Expect to hear moving music and stories told with engaging passion and humour.
tickets £20/£10
3pm | Rahoy Hills Car Park
Guided Walk: Acharn’s Stories in Stone
an exploration of the past with archaeologist Jennie Robertson
rahoy hills reserve car park | 3:00pm
Step into the layered past of Acharn on this evocative 1.5-hour guided walk with local archaeologist Dr Jennie Robertson. Beginning at the Rahoy Hills reserve car park in the Black Glen (NM 7025 5045), you’ll journey through a landscape shaped by centuries of human presence—from Bronze Age burial sites to the traces of an 18th-century settlement and the quiet remains of an old mill. It will be a unique opportunity to explore how people once lived, worked, and moved through this remarkable corner of Morvern.
tickets £12
7.30pm | Sunart Centre
Bubblyjock Collective
music you have never heard by scotland’s composers, past and present
The Bubblyjock Collective, formed in 2023, is an ensemble dedicated to promoting and performing music by composers born or based in Scotland. Their name is a nod to a 1966 setting of a Hugh McDiarmid poem by Scottish composer Ronald Stevenson, and according to the group, sums up their ethos as “playful and serious, comic and daring, absurd and precise - and not least full of great Scots vocabulary!” They close our festival in a vibrant way, encouraging us all to explore the repertoire more deeply and discover composers we have never heard before.