Who are these guys?

Assynt are a relatively new trio, comprising of David Shedden on pipes and whistles, Graham MacKenzie on fiddle and Innes White on guitar.

Individually, the band has worked with the Grit Orchestra, Heidi Talbot, John McCusker band, Karen Matheson, Siobhan Miller, Capercaillie, Inyal, The Scott Wood Band and include founding members of ‘Aizle’ and ‘Farrland’. Between them, they have been BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award winners, finalists in the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year and have two Celtic Connections ‘New Voices’ commissions.

And as a band they can now boast of Up and Coming Artist of The Year 2018 from the MG Scots Alba Trad Music Awards.

Why bring them to Colonsay?

Well to put it simply: Tunes for tunes sake. Great tunes played by great musicians. No gimmicks, no extraneous instrumentation, no nonsense. Just 3 guys at the top of their game. Their debut album “Road To The North” is all the evidence you need. Check it out at their website.

When can I see them?

Calm down, it’s still 2018 so the schedule for Ceòl 2019 is rather fluid but Assynt will likely be performing not once, but twice over the course of the weekend. Lucky you! An evening gig on Friday and a Saturday afternoon reprise seem likely at this stage.

Fans of Innes White may have even more opportunities to hear him play, but more on that later….

How do I get to see them?

By purchasing a ticket of course!  Festival passes for Ceòl Cholasa 2019 are £80 and can be bought online (just follow the link). The pass gains you entry to all the concerts in the hall, the stomping late night Ceòl Ceilidh and the workshops. It also entitles you to a seat at hotel gigs (though this is strictly first come, first served).

Remember, Ceòl Cholasa is a limited, bijou event. It’s best to purchase your ticket as soon as possible as then you can rest assured that you will be one of a maximum of only 250 people attending the best wee music festival in the west!