Music for our Scotland driving?

I use to work on music retail on the world music side so heard lots of stuff.
My advice is search Amazon for titles similar to this compilation
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-scottish-folk-essential-mw0000225210

An listen to the samples

Hi, Scott,

Runrig, Corries, Dick Gaughan, Battlefield Band, Skippinish, Manran, Tannahill Weavers, Breabach, Mackenzie, Mac-talla, Jean Redpath, Fraser and Ian Bruce, Haggerdash, Malinky, McCalmans, Ossian, Gordon Duncan, Cilla Fisher and Artie Trezise, Archie Fisher, Bodega, Norrie MacIver, Julie Fowlis, Capercaille, Mary Ann Kennedy, Vatersay Boys, and Robin Laing, for a start.

You won't go wrong with any of those. Most rental cars in Scotland do not have a CD player, so make sure that you pre-record your music prior to arriving in Scotland. There's nothing worse than driving around the Highlands and Islands listening to Radio 1. I've been there! :(

Slainte!

Mike (Auchterless)

Peatbog Faeries are pretty peppy...we had the good fortune of seeing them on Skye at the Old Inn in Carbost!! Not trad but pretty dang fun!

Hi Scott -

Mike (auchterless) ‘s list is good, but I would add to it The Peatbog Faeries and also The Treacherous Orchestra, particularly their latest (?) album ‘Grind’. Excellent stuff and has enlivened many a car journey we’ve taken, not necessarily in Scotland!

Have a spectacular trip!

Ian

Hi again, Scott (and Ian),

Here's a few more to add to the list:

Cauld Blast Orchestra, Blazin' Fiddles, Old Blind Dogs, Na h-Oganaich, Isobel Ann Martin, Silly Wizard, John and Phil Cunningham, Arthur Cormack, Ceolbeg, Adam McNaughton, The Proclaimers, Red Hot Chilli Pipers, James Graham, Ishbell MacAskill, Anna Murray, Dougie Maclean, Matt McGinn, Deaf Heights Cajun Aces (for anyone who thought the Scots couldn't play Cajun music!), Brian McNeill, Foundry Bar Band, Jock Duncan, Sheena Wellington, Catriona Watt, Arthur Johnstone, Wolfstone, Jim Reid, Saltfishforty, Wrigley Sisters, Gaberlunzie, and the list goes on...

Hope that at least gets you started.

Slainte! And happy travels!

Mike (Auchterless)

p.s.: Any music from the last ten or so CDs from Sgoil Chiuil na Gaidhealtachd. Amazing music from the Gaelic school in Plockton. It's hard to believe that these are high school kids!

Hi once again, Scott,

I'd forgotten the late Martyn Bennett. Check out the amazing and totally scary video on YouTube -"Danny Macaskill: The Ridge". It's the 7 minute 38 second video. The background music is "Blackbird," from Martyn Bennett's album "Grit." If you want atmospheric music on your journey, Martyn Bennett is your man.

In addition to the music, the video is stunning, but not for acrophobics.

Within about a ten mile radius of Glasgow, you can listen to 95FM, Celtic Music Radio. They play a LOT of Celtic music, 24 hours a day. Many programs repeat, so if you missed something you want to hear again, check out the program schedule. You can listen to Celtic Music Radio here in the US, over the internet. The website is www.celticmusicradio.net In addition to Scottish and Irish music, they play a good bit of American C&W.

You'll be surprised how many excellent American artists are featured, that never get any airplay here. And Scottish performers who are really obscure.

Anyway, happy listening!

Mike (Auchterless)

p.s.: Celtic Music Radio will have a special Hogmanay program Monday night, starting at 10:00 p.m. GMT (5:00 p.m. EST). They'll also have live broadcasts from Celtic Connections later in January.

Alasdair Fraser - aka "the Michael Jordan of the Scottish Fiddle". Great stuff!!!

Open a podcast - or listen live or on the BBC Sounds app - to any edition of "Take The Floor" They will do all the hunting for you. Just lean back and tap your toes.

Hi once again, Scott,

While you're traveling about in Scotland, be sure to check out BBC ALBA when you're in your hotel/B&B during the evening. They broadcast between 5 p.m. and midnight. Most of the programming is in Gaelic, but you'll see some of the absolutely best traditional music on television. Tonight, for example, they are featuring Manran, recorded live at the Barrowlands, as well as segments commemorating the centenary of the Iolaire disaster.

Slainte!

Mike

Thanks for the great replies. I'll have fun listening to your suggestions!

Scott

When you get tired of the folk, search the web for “bag rock”.

Hi, bogiesan,

You mean something similar to the Red Hot Chilli Pipers?

Mike (Auchterless)

For some exploratory listening, you might try the show "Thistle and Shamrock" on NPR, either by finding it on your local station or streaming from the website: http://thistleradio.com/ Might give you some names and different styles of Celtic music.

You can access "Radio Garden" online which streams radio stations around the world. We play a BBC station in "Stornoway" when we want a Celtic fix.

Deaf Shepherd. Buy their music online for your IPod or phone.

And Nigel is totally correct—- get the BBC Scotland app and listen to Take The Floor (my favorite Saturday night show!).

Tune In app also has fantastic radio stations from Scotland available.

Time to add Assynt, Fara, and Tide Lines to my previous lists. Three excellent up and coming young bands - the future of traditional Scottish folk music. Check them out on YouTube, especially Tide Lines. Robert Robertson, the lead singer of Tide Lines, was the former lead singer of Skippinish. another great young band.

I used to worry about the future of traditional music in Scotland, as many of the old bands, like the Tannahill Weavers and Battlefield Band are not getting any younger; Runrig have retired; and members of former bands like Ossian, Ceolbeg, and Silly Wizard are dying off. However, these new bands have given me hope for the future, as they not only respect the past, but have written some great new songs and tunes that slot perfectly in to the tradition.

Enjoy the music, and buy a CD or two (or more) to help support these young artists.

Mike (Auchterless)

My two favorites are Dougie MacLean and Capercaille. Both take traditional music and update it a bit in their own style. Clannad is also fantastic! Fiona Clayton is a newer artist who lives in Cumbria and some of her songs are really good. We were just in Scotland last week and blasted Scottish music the whole time! Even got to see Capercaille at Hogmanay...pretty good week!

To be fair to this thread Clannad, while terrific are just a tiny bit......Irish! 😂😂

And Fiona Clayton is just a wee bit...English! :)

But she can still be part of Scott's "drive mix."

Check out Claire Hastings, as well. Her album (dating myself here) "Between River and Railway" is a stunner!

Mike (Auchterless)