Uist comes alive with the sound of music at UHI North, West and Hebrides’ inaugural Music Residency
Uist came alive with the sound of music as UHI North, West and Hebrides held its first-ever Traditional Music Residency, at Cnoc Soilleir in South Uist last weekend.
.jpeg
"see full size image")
The inaugural residency brought together talented musicians for an immersive weekend of workshops, collaboration, and informal sessions. Designed for experienced players of fiddle, pipes, accordion, and guitar, the event offered participants the opportunity to deepen their musical skills while drawing inspiration from the islands’ rich cultural heritage.
Led by a distinguished team of tutors - Allan Henderson, Iain MacDonald, Ewan Robertson, and Pàdruig Morrison - the residency offered high-quality instrumental tuition alongside opportunities for group learning and creative exchange. Sessions continued well into the evenings, reflecting the strong communal spirit of music-making that characterises island life.
The residency also wove in elements of archaeology, history and local folklore, an approach that proved particularly popular with this year’s participants.
Archina Maclellan, Engagement Lead for Uist and Barra, who organised the event, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the success of our first Traditional Music Residency. It has been incredibly rewarding to welcome such talented musicians to South Uist and to see the connections, creativity and shared passion that developed over the weekend. This is just the beginning, and we look forward to building on this success in the future.”
Allan Henderson, Music lecturer at UHI North, West and Hebrides and one of the residency’s tutors, added: “The fact that the course wasn't just focused solely on music, but also took in elements of archaeology, history and the supernatural went down really well with the participants.”
Following the success of this year’s residency, plans are already under consideration for future events, further cementing the region’s reputation as a vibrant hub for traditional music and creative learning.
Cnoc Soilleir is home to the UHI North, West and Hebrides’ HNC Music course, which supports students to develop performance, creative, and industry skills while studying in a culturally rich environment.
For more information about music courses at UHI North, West and Hebrides, visit: