Alasdair Fraser Week’ celebrating 25 years at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI

Internationally renowned Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser is back in Scotland this week to conduct his long running and only Scottish based fiddle camp at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture on Skye. This week sees the ever popular camp reach a milestone, celebrating 25 years since it began.

Over the years the camp has seen hundreds of fiddlers attend, with many of the top young fiddlers performing in Scotland today having spent time under his tutelage including, Patsy Reid, Gabe MacVarish, Sarah Naylor and Fiona MacAskill.

This was the second of the three schools established by Alasdair Fraser following the world renowned Valley of the Moon Scottish fiddle school in Northern California in 1984. This anniversary year sees over a hundred students attending the course in Skye with international performers from North America coming as tutors. These include Natalie Haas, a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York who accompanies Alasdair on their latest album; Hanneke Cassel from Oregan, herself a former US National Scottish Fiddle Champion and who has performed with such bands as Cherish the Ladies; step dancer and all round musician David Rankin from Cape Breton, Canada and from Scotland Sarah Naylor and Fiona MacAskill who are both from Skye and Kirsty Blackhall another graduate of the RSAMD in Glasgow and herself currently a student at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.

The week long event also sees Alasdair, his tutors and students perform at the College, take part in sessions in Sleat and a special night to mark his 25th year on Friday.