Scotland is know throughout the world for many things including tartan and bagpipes and when many are asked about Scottish music it is the bagpipes that most bring to mind first. The bagpipes appear all over Scotland and many of the most popular tourist attractions often feature a piper in full traditional dress banging out a few well known tunes. Used heavily in warfare the sound of the bagpipes is very distinctive, and many would describe it as terrifying however there is much, much more to Scottish music than bagpipes and ceilidh bands. In recent years the UK has seen a massive increase in the number of annual music festivals and in Scotland there are a few well worth a mention such as the relatively new Rockness music festival near 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.
Of course there are highly specialized music festivals in Scotland which focus solely upon a specific genre of music. However the most highly attended music festivals offer the opportunity to enjoy all types of music with different tents and arenas presenting a different style or genre. While festivals such as the Hebridean Celtic Festival and Celtic Connections focus on traditional and modern Celtic acts, festivals such as Wickerman, Tartan Heart and Rockness present more modern pop sounds and some of the big acts of the day.
Although Rockness is held in rather a remote location (about 8 miles from Inverness) the organizers, Loudsound and Slingshot, have worked miracles to ensure that all the required facilities are in place and there are adequate transportation links. Held on the banks of Loch Ness, Rockness, has the most breathtaking views out across the Loch. In fact the location, Clune Farm, Dores, is amongst the most incredible of all the UK music festivals.
The 1st Rockness was only a one day event headlined by Fatboy Slim on the main stage and Daft Punk in the 10,000 capacity tent called the Clash Arena. In the second year the event was extended over two days with the Chemical Brothers headlining. On the second day it was Manic Street Preachers who headlined on the main stage but Daft Punk had returned to appear in the Clash Arena. The second year saw the crowd increase from 10,000 to 30,000 and it seemed all wanted to see Daft Punk. As the Clash Arena only holds 10,000 the sides of the tent were lifted to allow the full crowd to enjoy the performance. Strangely it could be claimed that Daft Punk were the actual headline act as they were certainly the most popular!
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!
Wickerman and Tartan Heart music festivals are equally, if not more, friendly events and both can be considered family friendly with children and toddlers seen running around playing. While some would consider this irresponsible you really need to visit these festivals to understand how safe they really are. Furthermore children are seen wearing ear defenders when they are in the vicinity of loud music.
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.
Of course there are highly specialized music festivals in Scotland which focus solely upon a specific genre of music. However the most highly attended music festivals offer the opportunity to enjoy all types of music with different tents and arenas presenting a different style or genre. While festivals such as the Hebridean Celtic Festival and Celtic Connections focus on traditional and modern Celtic acts, festivals such as Wickerman, Tartan Heart and Rockness present more modern pop sounds and some of the big acts of the day.
Although Rockness is held in rather a remote location (about 8 miles from Inverness) the organizers, Loudsound and Slingshot, have worked miracles to ensure that all the required facilities are in place and there are adequate transportation links. Held on the banks of Loch Ness, Rockness, has the most breathtaking views out across the Loch. In fact the location, Clune Farm, Dores, is amongst the most incredible of all the UK music festivals.
The 1st Rockness was only a one day event headlined by Fatboy Slim on the main stage and Daft Punk in the 10,000 capacity tent called the Clash Arena. In the second year the event was extended over two days with the Chemical Brothers headlining. On the second day it was Manic Street Preachers who headlined on the main stage but Daft Punk had returned to appear in the Clash Arena. The second year saw the crowd increase from 10,000 to 30,000 and it seemed all wanted to see Daft Punk. As the Clash Arena only holds 10,000 the sides of the tent were lifted to allow the full crowd to enjoy the performance. Strangely it could be claimed that Daft Punk were the actual headline act as they were certainly the most popular!
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!
Wickerman and Tartan Heart music festivals are equally, if not more, friendly events and both can be considered family friendly with children and toddlers seen running around playing. While some would consider this irresponsible you really need to visit these festivals to understand how safe they really are. Furthermore children are seen wearing ear defenders when they are in the vicinity of loud music.
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Rockness is over for another year (see Rockness Photos) but if you are planning to visit Inverness see our listings of Inverness hotels at http://www.invernesshotelscotland.com/
