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Music Festivals in Scotland and Rockness

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Written by Andrew Kelly

Sunday, 15 June 2008

by AndrewKelly

If you are asked to think of Scotland most of us will immediately picture a Scotsman dressed in tartan playing the bagpipes or something equally clich. Of course there are plenty of places across Scotland where you are likely to see a piper in full dress playing a selection of traditional Scottish tunes, especially at, or outside, popular tourist attractions. However Scotland is a thoroughly modern country and, while maintaining a healthy pride in it's past, is forward looking and forever inventive and this is superbly displayed in modern Scottish music. In recent years the United Kingdom has seen a massive increase in the number of music festivals and this is most apparent in Scotland where countless festivals present all forms of music from traditional through to fusion and the latest pop bands and DJ's who appeared at the recent Rockness festival just outside Inverness.

Music has a vital role to play in the development of any society or nation and this is extremely apparent in Scotland. Through the centuries Scottish music has encompassed many influences and happily embraced new instruments. While interest in the traditional will always remain strong the Scottish music scene is wide and varied. Across Scotland various music events celebrate the various styles of the nation and introduce acts from elsewhere. At Scottish music festivals it is not unusual to see the traditional acts appearing alongside the most modern or acts from Africa or others from around the world.

Whatever your tastes in music there is a music festival in Scotland that features your favorite genre or style. If you like the traditional Scottish tunes, Celtic or Celtic fusion then festivals such as Celtic Connections, or the Hebridean Celtic Festival, showcase some of the finest acts of the moment. If you would rather see popular rock & pop bands or dance the night away to the best DJ's then the likes of Rockness, Wickerman and Tartan Heart will be more to your liking.

Rockness, being only it's thrid year, is one of Scotland's youngest music festivals but this year over 35,000 people attended. Taking place at Clune Farm, Dores (not too far from Inverness) the music festival has one of the most astounding locations on the banks of Loch Ness. Staged by Loudsound and Slingshot, Rockness may well be in a rural and remote setting but great care is taken to ensure that the traffic and superb transportation links flow freely and smoothly.

The 24 June 2006 saw the first Rockness headlined by DJ Fatboy Slim and Daft Punk (in the Clash Arena). The second Rockness was held over 2 days and headlined by the Chemical Brothers on the 1st and Manic Street Preachers on the 2nd. However Daft Punk returned to play in the Clash Arena and as the whole 30,000 crowd attempted to fill the Clash Arena tent the organizers were forced to open it's sides which led to claims that it was really Daft Punk who headlined.

The third Rockness was again mainly dance orientated, with Fatboy Slim headlining the first day for a second time, but the second day had more rock and pop acts (similar to the previous year) with the Cribs and Editors supporting the main headlining act, Razorlight. With the Clash Arena and other tents here there and everywhere there was plenty to choose from with Pete Tong and other popular DJ's playing until about 2.00am.

Sadly there was a death this year and around 10 arrests which marred the reputation somewhat. The cause of death is unknown at this time but the weather was extremely hot and the atmosphere ecstatic so alcohol and dehydration are the likely culprits as drugs did not appear to be a problem. When you consider the fact that the crowd was over 35,000 and all were partying it is incredible how friendly and safe the environment was. Imagine a town or city center with such a crowd of revelers I am sure the statistics would be far worse!

Although Rockness can be considered "family friendly" (I went with my wife and kids and the majority were teenagers and younger) Wickerman and Tartan Heart are far more suitable for the family. Both festivals are absolutely amazing for their friendly crowd with kids running around freely and, when close to the stage, the youngsters are often equipped with ear defenders!

About the Author:

Rockness is over for another year (see Rockness Photos) but if you are planning to visit Inverness see our listings of hotels in Inverness at http://www.invernesshotelscotland.com/

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